Histories Collide
by MissLongcep
Summary: Maggie Thyme has spent her life following in her Grandmother’s footsteps and is happy with her life. Until one day, a reckless but charming young Samuel Drake comes crashing into her life and flips it upside down. But there is a history here, that neither Sam or Maggie could have imagined, and it is about to come crashing into the present.
1. Chapter 1

When Maggie Thyme got the news that her Grandmother Evelyn had died, she was beyond devastated.

Not only because her Grandmother had died, but she was the only person who made Maggie feel "normal". Like Evelyn, Maggie was a keen reader and historian. From a very young age, Maggie had always been interested in the old books gathering dust in her Grandmother's study, and she couldn't wait until she was old enough to go and research some of the ancient legends she had been told about as bed time stories. Maggie's own parents, and Evelyn's son and daughter-in-law, had been less than unsupportive about her interests, saying she had inherited her Grandmother's "obsession" and no good would come from it.

In fact, when Maggie expressed her wishes about pursuing her dream and studying History at college, her parents all but disowned her, and Maggie went to live with Evelyn in Boston instead, where she spent her childhood years soaking up her Grandmother's knowledge of all things ancient and legendary. Every school holiday, you would be sure to find Maggie at the Museum where her Grandmother and her team worked, following anybody who would listen, and filling their ears with questions and her own theories as to where these legends stemmed from.

Just before Maggie's 18th birthday, she had made plans with her Grandmother to visit some of the colleges she would be applying to; UCLA, Columbia and Berkeley. Maggie had wanted to attend Boston University, as it meant she could stay at home and keep an eye on Evelyn who, despite all of her protests, had begun to look a little unsteady on her feet.

Evelyn, however, had other ideas. "You can't put a price on a decent education, Maggie!" she would say. "If you're going to be like me, then you gotta go the distance to get there!". Maggie was never too sure what her Grandmother meant when she said things like that, but she knew better than to question them. Her Grandmother eventually agreed, however, that Maggie would go to any interviews on her own. She didn't want to be seen as "piggybacking" on Evelyn Thyme's reputation.

One spring evening, Maggie made the 3 and a half hour journey from Boston to New York in preparation for her school interview at Columbia University the next day. After getting stuck in traffic jams for the last third of the journey, stopping for a well needed coffee break, and then getting lost in the bustling New York Streets trying to find her hotel, Maggie collapsed exhausted on her hotel bed almost 3 hours later than she should have done. She was just about to doze off, when her hotel phone rang.

"Hello?" she answered sleepily.

"Good Evening, Miss Thyme. There is a call for you from a Mrs Evelyn Thyme, should I connect?" the receptionist asked.

"Sure, go ahead" Maggie replied almost unwillingly, adjusting her position in preparation for the audible onslaught her Grandmother was about to give her.

There was a click as the receptionist connected the call, and before Maggie could say hello, her Grandmother bellowed down the phone, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?! I have been calling and calling for you for the last 2 hours! I've been worried sick, anything could have happened! You should have called me the moment you got there!"

"Woah, calm down Gran! I've only just arrived!" Maggie interjected. "The traffic was ridiculous, and then I couldn't find my hotel!"

"DON'T YOU TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! I KNOW HOW LONG IT TAKES TO GET TO NEW YORK FROM HERE, AND IT DOES NOT TAKE..." Maggie rolled her oval brown eyes as she held the phone away from her ear, whilst she waited for her Grandmother to finish reading the riot act. There was no point even trying to reason with Evelyn when she was like this; Maggie was too similar to know it would be pointless.

"Better to just take the shouting, apologise and promise you will be more considerate in future" Maggie thought to herself.

Finally, after what seemed like an age, Evelyn seemed to remember why she was actually calling. "Oh, guess what came today!" She suddenly exclaimed excitedly.

"What?"

"Do you remember Cassandra Morgan, my number one researcher at the museum?" Evelyn asked.

"Vaguely" Maggie replied. "I only saw her a few times."

"Yes, you would have. She was extremely unwell, and nobody knew except me" Evelyn remembered, sadly. "Every day, she put on a brave face for her husband and her two young children, but she got to the point where she couldn't cope, and it was easier to end her pain."

"How sad," Maggie had no idea. She had only met Cassandra a few times when she was young, she was constantly flying from one expedition to another. Then one day, she just realised that she never saw her again. Maggie had never even given it a thought, and was instantly ashamed. She remembered Evelyn mentioning two children, and thought about how she'd feel if it was her Grandmother who had suddenly killed herself with no explanation. Maggie shuddered. "Her poor family," Maggie said, thoughtfully, "they must have been devastated."

"Well actually, that's why I'm calling," Evelyn answered, serious now. "After she died, her husband couldn't cope. He abandoned his boys to an orphanage, sold all of his belongings, and disappeared overnight. Never seen again." Maggie was shocked. "It was an awful shame, he was a pretty good explorer too, from what I remember. They'd collected all kinds of weird and wonderful things over the years, and he sold every last bit of it. AND within the belongings that he sold, was all of Cassandra's research," Evelyn went on, "Every note she had taken, every map she had drawn, Gone! It's taken me a while, but I've finally found it after all these years! It arrived today, so the moment you get back from Columbia, I want you going through every journal you can find, Maggie! This is a chance for us to prove Cassandra's dream come true, I owe her that much after all!" Maggie's Grandmother almost sang, she was so excited again.

Maggie chuckled, fondly. This is what she loved about her Grandmother, more than anything else in the world. Her passion. Here she was, almost 90 years old, and she was speaking as if she was a giddy schoolgirl. Maggie began to get excited herself, and smiled. "Okay, you got it, Gran" Maggie laughed, "anything else?"

"Just you be safe, young lady" Evelyn retorted, back to lovingly-overbearing Grandmother mode. "New York can be dangerous! Make sure you call me tomorrow!"

"I will, don't worry," Maggie sighed, "I'll call you first thing tomorrow morning before I leave for my interview, and I'll call you as soon as I'm back afterwards, deal?" Maggie asked with just a twinge of sarcasm she knew her Grandmother wouldn't miss.

"You best do, young lady, or there'll be hell to pay!" Evelyn growled, lovingly.

"Love you, Gran, Good Night!" Maggie laughed as she hung up the phone.

Maggie lay on the bed for a moment, thinking about what her Grandmother had just told her. She wondered what had happened to Cassandra's husband and their two kids, whether they ever saw each other again, and her thoughts flickered to her own mother. They had never been particularly close, seeing as Maggie's mother couldn't stand to have a daughter who refused to conform to the "normal" things girls should do. Maggie wondered if there was an underlying reason why her mother was so against her following her Grandmother's footsteps, which she didn't know about. Maggie promised to herself she would call her Mom once she got home, in an effort to make amends for the time they'd not spent together as she grew up.

Maggie shook her head, as if to shake off the looming thoughts threatening to ruin her Grandmother's good news. "This is it!" Maggie thought to herself excitedly. "I'm finally going to have my own research to study!" Maggie thought about the opportunities this could bring. Not only could she be potentially attending one of the oldest Colleges in America, but she could start her classes with a wealth of actual fieldwork experience! "This is unbelievable! Almost too good to be true!" Maggie squealed with excitement as she climbed under the crisp hotel bed sheets. As she settled down, she let her mind wander to great mounds of treasure, buried on an island far, far away waiting to be discovered and smiled lazily as she finally fell asleep, her dreams playing out behind her closed eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Maggie woke with a start. Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she glanced around at the unfamiliar surroundings, trying to remember where she was. Registering what day it was, Maggie climbed out of bed and made her way to her small hotel room bathroom, yawning and trying to gather her thoughts. As she flicked the bathroom light on, she caught sight of herself in the mirror and groaned. Her rich mahogany hair was a knotted mess from where she had been tossing and turning in the night, and she noticed where she'd obviously been dribbling in her sleep. She had a lot of work to do before her interview at 11am. Maggie splashed some water onto her face, in an attempt to restore the look of normality to her blotchy, tired looking skin, and hastily ran a hairbrush through the knots, in attempt to untangle them to little avail. Maggie decided to give up, and climbed into the shower. A good dollop of conditioner and a warm shower would help at least.

Finally, Maggie was ready to go. Her now silky, brown hair had been swept back into a messy bun, with just a few strands of hair left alone at the front to frame Maggie's heart shaped face, and her make up was just subtle enough to make Maggie look bright eyed and rosy cheeked. Checking herself in the mirror, Maggie adjusted the collar on her fitted blouse, and carefully put on the grey waistcoat of the suit that her Grandmother had helped her choose for the occassion. At five foot ten, with a slender but strong frame, she even looked a little like Evenlyn, so she'd been told. In her younger days, at least. Maggie thought about how Evelyn looked now, and sighed. She'd seemed so weak, recently. Maggie's heart tightened. Suddenly remembering her promise to her Grandmother, Maggie stumbled over her heels to the hotel phone, cursing as she landed on the bed, next to the bedside table where the phone sat almost expectantly.

Righting her position, Maggie dialled the all too familiar number of her Grandmother's manor. Her Grandmother answered after only a couple of rings, and greeted Maggie warmly. "I'm just fulfilling my promise to you, Gran!" Maggie called cheerfully down the phone.

"How are you feeling?" Evelyn asked.

"Nervous, I'm worried I'm going to make a complete ass out of myself in my interview" Maggie said anxiously.

"You'll be absolutely fine, Columbia has got one of the best reputations in the Country. They would be lucky to have you graduate from their school. You'll be top of the class!" Evelyn beamed down the phone with encouragement.

It didn't help Maggie's nerves. "Hmm, we'll see I suppose... Anyway Gran, I've got to go, I don't want to be late!"

After saying her goodbyes and promising AGAIN to call Evelyn as soon as she could, Maggie straightened her outfit, put on those damned heels which she hated wearing so much, and checked herself in the mirror one last time. With a deep breath, and a silent word of self encouragement, Maggie closed her room door, and made her way down to the hotel lobby, and out into the crowded New York street.

Looking around to get her bearings, Maggie began the treacherous walk to Columbia University. Maggie had no problem finding places; she would happily go trekking for miles, had camped out under the stars numerous times when she was a kid, but put her in heels and the maze that was the streets of New York, and she was like a helpless deer stumbling over an icy lake. Maggie's heels kept getting caught in the pavement cracks, and she desperately struggled to maintain her balance. She felt like an idiot. Eventually she gave up, took her heels off and marched barefoot to Columbia, ignoring the glances of the people walking by.

When she arrived at the edge of the vast campus, she ducked behind a bush to put her shoes on, and give herself one last "You can do this. Just breathe." Standing up straight, she stepped out from behind the bush and made her way gracefully down the path. Maggie climbed smoothly up the steps, and pushed the large oak door marked "Front Desk".

As she entered, Maggie waited for her eyes to adjust to the light before scanning her eyes around the enormous lobby. Across the room, she noticed a small, red haired woman smiling behind a large reception desk. As Maggie moved forward, she guessed the woman must be late forties, with pale blue eyes behind large, black framed glasses.

"Welcome to Columbia University," the woman smiled, cheerfully, "Name, please?"

"M-Maggie Thyme" she stuttered, her words almost catching on the back of her throat. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Sorry, Maggie Thyme". The receptionist handed Maggie a name badge, a folder and a map of the campus, and directed Maggie to where she needed to go. Thanking the receptionist, Maggie smiled, and headed towards the History building near the Library.

As she walked past the mighty buildings which surrounded her, Maggie tried to remember the name of the person who would be interviewing her. Professor Simon Hewitt, a well written and respected Historian. Maggie gulped, as she tried to remember the answers she had prepared for anything he might ask. Maggie's legs had started to ache, and she wondered if maybe she had gone wrong somewhere. Just as she was about to get out the guide she had been given when she arrived, a green sign, with white letters read "History interviews, Chrysler Building, room 204". Maggie followed the direction the sign's arrow was pointing towards, and as she crossed the square, she spotted a large, roman-style building. Large, faded gold letters read "Chrysler Building" across the top of the large columns that spanned the width of a Football pitch. Maggie quickened her pace as she hurried towards the main entrance.

Once inside, Maggie followed the signs to the second floor of the building, taking in her surrounding as she went. The flyer covered walls were laden in large oak panels, and vast lecture halls were dotted on either side of each corridor. Maggie went through some large wooden double doors, and as she walked passed each door, reading the numbers, she finally found room 204. Maggie stopped for a moment, trying to slow her heart which felt as though it would come bursting out of her chest at any moment. Taking a deep breath, Maggie checked her watch. 10:50, ten minutes early. Having one last final check of her appearance, Maggie looked to see if anybody was there, and saw a man in his early fifties sat behind a desk reading a file.

Maggie knocked the window, and the professor looked up and gestured for her to enter. Gulping slightly, Maggie pushed the door handle down, and opened the door.

"Hi, I'm Maggie Thyme, I've got an interview?" Maggie explained nervously. Professor Simon Hewitt was tall, with broad shoulders, and his dark brown hair was slicked back tidily; not what Maggie was expecting.

Professor Hewitt smiled and stood up, as he said, "Hi Maggie, nice to meet you. Please come in". Maggie walked into the study, and as she walked towards his desk, she realised he was much younger looking than she expected. The professor gestured for Maggie to sit in a small, wooden chair as he resumed his seat behind his large, book laden desk. Maggie sat, blushing nervously as she made eye contact with the professor, who smiled warmly in return.

"Just relax," the professor said, leaning back in his stained leather recliner, resting his elbows on either arm of the chair, his fingers meeting and resting on his chin. "You've nothing to worry about." Maggie smiled nervously, and adjusted her position to face her interviewer more confidently. "So, Maggie. Tell me about yourself. What makes you want to study at Columbia?" Professor Hewitt asked, gazing at Maggie above his hipster black rimmed glasses.

"Well," Maggie began, clearing her throat before continuing, "I've always been passionate about History."

"Any part of History in particular?" Professor Hewitt interjected.

"I've always had an interest in East Asian History, particularly anything from the Period of the Three Kingdoms of China. There are some fascinating artifacts and legends surrounding this dynasty" Maggie smiled, this was a question she had easily prepared for, and could spend hours discussing if she could find somebody willing to listen.

Professor Hewitt's green eyes crinkled behind his glasses as he smiled, betraying his age but adding a softness to his appearance. He listened attentively, as Maggie explained how her interest had been sparked by her Grandmother, interrupting her only to ask further questions, testing Maggie's knowledge, and even asking her opinion on a relic he had found in a temple in a small village in China which had been dated back to the Han Dynasty. Maggie had finally begun to relax, even laughing with the professor as her half hour interview sailed by. Quicker than she was expecting, a knock at the door signalled the next interviewee had arrived, and Professor Hewitt almost looked disappointed as he checked his watch. Maggie breathed, her nerves returning as she stood to shake the Professor's hand. He smiled as their hands grasped firmly.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you, Miss Thyme" Professor Hewitt beamed, "we are actually having a special lecture on Sir Francis Drake's travels tomorrow evening in the assembly hall of the building. It would be great if you could attend. You would have the chance to meet some of the other staff who would be teaching you, and it is always an interesting debate amongst Historians, I think you'd make some excellent contributions."

"I'd love to come, thank you" Maggie replied, trying to hide her astonishment at the invitation. As the professor found some flyers and wrote down the details for the following evening, Maggie didn't dare to hope that this meant her interview was a success, but she couldn't understand why the Professor would invite her to an extra curricular activity when she wasn't even a student, if it didn't mean she'd passed the interview.

Almost desperate to leave quickly, in case the Professor changed his mind, Maggie thanked him again for his time and for the invite the following evening, and swiftly made her way out of the office. As she closed the door behind her, Maggie turned and smiled kindly at the gangly boy who stood waiting to go in after her. He glanced up nervously from the notes he was frantically trying to study before he was called in. Maggie turned down the corridor and headed towards the exit, feeling almost weightless as she left the building.

She floated back to her hotel, not paying attention the the surroundings which had intimidated her only a couple of hours ago. Once she reached her hotel room, she collapsed onto her bed and lay for a moment, replaying the interview in her head. She thought about the answers she had given, hoping she came across as passionate, rather than a know it all. Throughout her school years, she had often been teased for being a teacher's pet and a nerd, preferring to spend her break times reading in the library, rather than playing kiss chase with her peers. Whilst she had always excelled with teachers, even her school reports used to say she could often take over a lesson if she wasn't kept in check.

Maggie stopped herself. "He didn't seem to think you were a know it all at all," Maggie thought, "and he certainly wouldn't have asked you to go tomorrow if he didn't think you would be any good". Maggie sat up, determined not to worry about what may be. "Just get through tomorrow, and whatever happens, happens!" Maggie reassured herself quietly. She picked up the hotel phone to call Evelyn with the update.

The phone rang a few times before her Grandmother answered with a coughing fit. "Gran?" Evelyn called down the phone, concerned.

"I'm here, dear" Evelyn answered, spluttering, "Just give me a moment." Maggie waited patiently as her Grandmother barked and wheezed a few more times. Maggie furrowed her brow in concern.

"Are you sure you're okay, Gran?" Maggie asked again, anxiously.

"Stop fussing, I'm fine!" Evelyn wheezed down the phone, "It's these damn cigarettes, they don't agree with me."

Maggie rolled her eyes and replied, "Honestly Gran, you shouldn't be smoking! Not at your age, it's not going to do you any good."

"Oh nonsense," Evelyn retorted, "I've smoked longer than I care to admit, if these little buggers were going to do anything, they'd have done so by now. Anyway, enough of this pointless babbling, how did you get on?" Maggie gave up trying to berate her Grandmother's habit, and instead recounted her interview to Evelyn, who listened with eager anticipation.

"I knew they would love you, dear" Evelyn praised her Granddaughter when she'd finished, "They'd have to be utter simpletons if they couldn't recognise your talent".

Maggie smiled and replied, "I do feel more confident now. Professor Hewitt has even invited me to a lecture tomorrow evening, so I'm going to stay another day, and come back tomorrow night. Is that okay?" Maggie knew it wouldn't have been a problem, but she didn't want to be rude. Plus, she was quite concerned about her Grandmother's cough. She hadn't heard her Grandmother sound so unwell before.

Evelyn, of course, was all for the idea. "Yes of course, darling!" she sang, the pride obvious in her tone, "Just make sure you are back in enough time to begin this research for me, I don't want to waste anymore time with this one!" Maggie promised she would leave as soon as the lecture had finished the next day. After being congratulated again, Maggie and Evelyn said their goodbyes, and Maggie heard the phone click as her Grandmother replaced the receiver.

After changing out of her interview outfit, Maggie lay on her hotel bed, scanning the pile of pamphlets and papers which had been included in the folder she had been given before her interview. Maggie's stomach rumbled, and as she checked her watch, she realised she hadn't eaten anything all day. Suddenly ravenous, Maggie climbed off the bed, shoved all of the papers into her bag, and made her way back out of the hotel and into the busy New York streets. Finding a local deli, Maggie ordered herself a coffee and a sandwich, pulled the array of papers out from her bag and continued to read while she waited. The folder covered everything from lessons and extra curricular activities, to social events and information about all the different societies you could join as a student. Nothing much interested Maggie, except a flyer for a History society, and a poster for a "Great Outdoors" society, where you could take part in pretty much everything from skiing and kayaking, to rockclimbing and caving. Maggie had always been encouraged to take part in these kinds of things, as Evelyn believed you could pick up some excellent skills which could be useful when looking for artifacts.

Maggie took out her notebook, and scribbled some questions she wanted to ask when she returned to Columbia the next day. As she ate her sandwich, Maggie turned her attention to the lecture information she had been given in her interview. "The Secrets of Sir Francis Drake" Maggie read, "An insight into Francis Drake's travels between 1580 and 1596". Maggie frowned as she read the rest of the text. She had never been too familiar with Sir Francis Drake, but she remembered her Grandmother had always been fascinated with the explorer, and had conducted her own research at the Museum.

When she was finished eating, Maggie stood up and walked outside, her brown eyes squinting in the early afternoon sunlight. Maggie decided it would be a good idea to do some extra reading on Francis Drake before the lecture, so went in search of some bookstores she hoped would have what she wanted. After trailing around the shops for a couple of hours, Maggie found a small bookshop tucked away which had everything she could have ever needed. Flicking through some history books, Maggie found what she was looking for, paid for her purchases and made her way to a park she had seen on her travels. Finding a quiet, shaded spot near the entrance, Maggie made herself comfortable and began reading about the dramatic history of the English explorer.

For the rest of the afternoon, Maggie read and scribbled notes which she thought might be useful for the following day. Only once her writing hand siezed up, did Maggie groan and stretch, and begin to pack her belongings away. Maggie glanced at her watch, and was surprised to find that nearly four hours had passed since she had first sat down in the park, and her stomach began to gurgle, as if reminding her that it was nearly time for dinner. Maggie stood up, stretching every limb she could to remove the stiffness which had begun to impede her movements.

Making her way back to the hotel, Maggie stopped at a local Chinese takeout to grab something to eat on the way. The smell of Chinese filled her hotel floor as she fumbled through her bag looking for her room key. Eventually Maggie successfully made her way into her room, dumped her belongings on the floor, and began unpacking her takeout food. She hadn't even realised how hungry she was again; Maggie shovelled the food into her mouth, thankful that nobody could see how unattractive she looked when she ate. When she was finally done eating, Maggie discarded the empty food cartons in the bin by her dresser, and collapsed onto the bed exhausted.

Maggie jumped awake with a start. Still fully dressed on her bed, with papers scattered all around her, Maggie looked around confused as she realised the hotel phone was ringing on her bedside table. Maggie checked her watch and saw that it was 2:30. Seeing that it was dark outside, she figured this was 2:30 in the morning, and grumbled to herself as she clambered over to the phone and picked up the receiver.

"Hello? Whosit?" Maggie mumbled sleepily when she answered the call.

The receptionist sounded very apologetic as she replied, "Good evening Miss Thyme, I'm sorry for disturbing you at this hour, but you've got an urgent call. Can I connect?" Still half asleep, Maggie was still trying to process what the receptionist was saying when she agreed.

"Something urgent? What could be so important?" Maggie thought to herself as she tried to wake herself up. The only person who would bother to call her would be her Grandmother, and she couldn't see Evelyn calling in the middle of the night about anything. Unless it was something to do with this research project. It wouldn't have surprised Maggie in the slightest if this was what it was about. Her Grandmother could turn into a machine once she had her mind set on something.

When the call had been connected, Maggie was just about to ask Evelyn what the problem was when a deep, authoritative voice took Maggie completely by surprise.

"Hello, Miss Thyme?"


	3. Chapter 3

"Hello, Miss Thyme?" the stranger repeated, sounding calm but with a sense of urgency.

"Y-yes, speaking?" Maggie answered warily, trying to work out whether this was a prank or not.

"My name is Detective Colwell, from Boston P.D. I'm calling about your Grandmother, Evelyn Thyme?"

Maggie sat upright as she realised this wasn't some hoax. "What's happened? Is everything okay?" Maggie started to sound panicked.

"I'm afraid we need you to return home straight away, there's been a break in in your Grandmother's house." the detective replied gravely, as tears started to build in Maggie's eyes.

"Oh God! How's my Gran? Is she hurt?"

"I think it is better if you come straight here," the detective said, "we'd really like to speak to you in person." Maggie could feel her heart pounding in her chest. This was bad. Really, really bad. Maggie informed the detective that she was leaving straight away, and was packing things back into her bag before she'd even hung up the phone.

Adrenaline coursed through Maggie's body as she stuffed all of her belongings into her bag and raced down through the hotel to get to the underground car park. She almost threw her hotel key at the reception desk as she flew through the lobby and entered the elevator to the basement. The receptionist called after Maggie, but Maggie hadn't even registered her as the elevator doors slid shut behind her. It seemed to take an age for the elevator to finally reach the basement, and Maggie nearly ran into the doors as she tried to exit quickly. Jumping into her car, Maggie raced out of the car park, almost crashing through the stop barrier on her way out. Thinking of nothing other than getting home, Maggie navigated her way out of New York City and finally made it onto the freeway that would get her to Boston. Maggie's foot pushed the gas pedal all the way to the floor; she was almost thankful that she'd received the call in the middle of the night, at least the roads would be clear.

Maggie made it home in a fraction of the time it had taken her to get to New York. As she turned into the street where she lived, she saw her Grandmother's manor lit up with flashing red and blue lights. Police cars and paramedic vehicles were parked all in the driveway as Maggie pulled up to the house, and she leapt out of the car and ran up the stone stairs to the vast wooden door. An officer blocked Maggie's path as she tried to squeeze through.

"Excuse me, Miss. You shouldn't be here" the officer warned solemnly.

"I live here, this is my Grandmother's house!" Maggie cried, trying to push her way passed the man stopping her.

"Miss Thyme?" A voice called behind her. Maggie's head turned and she saw a tall, middle aged man walking up the steps, wearing a dark striped suit and a large overcoat. "I'm Detective Colwell, we spoke on the phone?"

Maggie stopped trying to struggle with the officer in the doorway and turned to face the detective properly. "What's going on?" she demanded, "Where's my Gran?" Detective Colwell ran his hands through his slicked back hair and sighed.

"Come with me, please" he said as he took the lead and moved his way into the house. Maggie followed him, her heart thumping so loudly she felt as though it was going to burst. Detective Colwell led them into the kitchen, pulled out a couple of stools from under the counter and sat, gesturing for Maggie to do the same. "Would you like a drink?" Colwell asked, as though it was his kitchen and Maggie was the guest. She shook her head weakly, and a chill swept across her body, making her shiver involuntarily. "Miss Thyme, as you know, we responded to a 911 call this evening about a break in at this address." Colwell began, "Upon arrival, we saw the two perpertrators making their escape, and unfortunately they got away." Maggie's head snapped up and her eyes narrowed at the Detective as she tried to process what he was saying.

"They got away?" she snarled.

"Don't worry," the Detective reassured her, "We have got every available officer looking for them as we speak. We take these incidents extremely seriously." Maggie felt sick. She closed her eyes and wished she had never left her Gran alone, even if it was only for a few days. It suddenly registered to Maggie, that she hadn't seen her Grandmother at all, and she stood up swiftly, knocking the stool over as she did so.

"Where is my Grandmother?" Maggie repeated her question to the Detective.

"Miss Thyme, when we entered the property, we found your Grandmother collapsed on the floor in one of the upstairs rooms." Colwell explained solemnly. "We called for medical assistance, but I'm afraid it was too late."

The blood drained from Maggie's face as she tried to process what she had just been told. "She's... dead?" Maggie whispered, not wanting to believe this strange man in front of her. Colwell simply nodded in silence. "No! You're wrong! She can't be! Where is she?!" Maggie shouted, growing angry.

Colwell remained calm as he replied, "She's been taken into an ambulance. I'm terribly sorry, Miss Thyme, I understand this may be difficult to process."

Maggie desperately tried to make sense of the information that she'd just been given, but she just couldn't. She had spoken to Evelyn only hours before, and although she had sounded unwell, Evelyn wasn't the type of woman to be defeated so easily. Something else must have happened. "Did the burglars take anything?" she croaked, tears beginning to flow freely down Maggie's pale cheeks.

"Not from what we can see." Colwell answered, "Your Grandmother has got quite an eclectic collection of valuables, but nothing looks out of place or missing as far as we can tell. We would need you to assist us with that part of the investigation though, to advise if anything has gone." Maggie began to protest, but Colwell interrupted her. "Not tonight!" he explained, "We understand how difficult this must be for you, Miss Thyme. We don't want to rush you. But we want to catch these criminals as much as you do. We want them to answer for what they have done."

"What did they look like?" Maggie asked, although she hardly cared. Her Grandmother, the one person who truly made Maggie happy was gone, and she was left alone with no clue as to what she was supposed to do.

"They were two young males, both with brown hair," Colwell answered, "One was quite tall and looked to be in his late teens, early twenties. The other looked to be a few years younger, and wore a denim jacket. They got away on a motorcycle, driven by the elder of the two. Does this sound familiar at all to you?" The Detective asked seriously.

Maggie shook her head. "I don't know anybody like that," she said in despair. At that moment, another police officer walked into the kitchen.

"Detective Colwell, sir" the officer said quietly, "We've just had a call in over the radio. One of the patrol cars has spotted two kids on a motorbike heading towards the harbour. They slipped down some narrow roads but they're sure that's where they're heading!"

"Get some patrols down there now!" Colwell barked, "I want them combing the entire area!"

"Yes, sir!" the officer replied, "There's something else, too. As they were turning the corner, the patrol officer said it looked as though the younger boy was holding something. Some sort of book, he said."

Maggie, who felt as though she was in a neverending nightmare, suddenly became aware of the conversation going on behind her. A book? Evelyn had hundreds of books. Probably thousands. She had got a library full, the very same ones that Maggie used to read when she was a child. Not just history books either. Hundreds upon hundreds of note-filled journals were stored in boxes and stacked all throughout Evelyn's house. Maggie remembered the conversation she'd had with her Grandmother just the day before, how excited she was about this old research she'd rediscovered. Maggie caught her breath suddenly. The research? Why would anybody be interested in that? How would anybody even know about that? Especially two kids, one of whom was similar to Maggie's age. She had always been the outsider for being so interested in history; it wasn't ever something considered cool by other kids she grew up with.

But Maggie was convinced. She didn't know who, or why, but Maggie knew that whoever it was that broke into her Grandmother's house, and caused her death, had helped themselves to whatever research her Grandmother had recently found. Before the detective could move, Maggie darted upstairs to her Grandmother's study, almost expecting Evelyn to be sat in her armchair waiting for her. As she pushed open the heavy wooden door, and ducked under the yellow and black police tape that blocked the doorway, Maggie was greeted with the musty smell of leather, mingling with a faint trace of cigarette smoke. The tall lampshade that stood behind Evelyn's armchair provided the only light in the room, and as Maggie looked around, she spotted an open box sat on her Grandmother's large oak desk. Maggie ran over to the box and dug around. She didn't know what she was looking for, until she stumbled across it; an inventory list. Maggie ran her eyes down the list, flicking between the paper and the box to make sure everything was there. She was about a third of the way down when she realised something was missing. A journal.

"I knew it!" Maggie cried, shocked. Heavy footsteps made their way up the stairs, as Detective Colwell and two other officers ran to investigate.

"You shouldn't be in here yet, Miss Thyme," Colwell began, "We need to get the team in her to search for any leads."

"I've just found a lead," Maggie informed him sharply. Colwell looked shocked. "A white leather bound journal, marked with initials C.M." Maggie read the inventory list aloud. "It's missing." She added.

"Who is C.M?" Colwell asked, moving beside Maggie to inspect the paper she held.

"Cassandra Morgan, she worked with my Grandmother a long time ago, but she died." Maggie answered.

"Did she have any family?"

"She did, but her husband dumped his kids in a home and then disappeared after her death. I never met them, and I don't know anything about them or where they went." Maggie muttered distractedly.

"Okay, at least it is somewhere to start." Colwell said, and walked back over to the officers waiting by the door. Whilst he gave his instructions, Maggie stumbled in a daze over to her Grandmother's chair. It felt comforting, knowing she was somewhere familiar, but realising that her Grandmother wasn't coming back, it began to feel incredibly alien to Maggie. It wasn't a reassuring feeling.

Maggie suddenly thought, and stopped the Detective before he went back downstairs. "Wait Detective!" She called. He stopped in the doorway and turned. "Did the burglars...hurt her? In anyway?" Maggie's voice caught the back of her throat as she struggled to utter the words.

"No, Miss. We don't actually think so. But we'd need to do a post mortem to be sure." Maggie sighed and slumped back in her Grandmother's armchair. Colwell walked back into the room, and crouched to meet Maggie's watery brown eyes. "Don't worry. They will be held accountable for what's happened here. We will see to that." Colwell reassured her softly. He offered his hand to Maggie, who accepted, and led her back downstairs.

Police officers were combing the large house until streaks of morning sunlight started to break through the clouds, looking for anything which could be useful. Exhausted, Maggie made to go to her bedroom to lie down, but was stopped by officers in case she "contaminated" the crime scene. Instead she collapsed onto the small couch in the corner of the living room, pulled a blanket over her and closed her eyes, but she couldn't sleep properly. Every time she tried, she saw two masked men coming towards her holding books and knives, laughing manically as they towered over her. Several times she'd wake up with a start, praying that it was all a bad dream, and she'd wake up to her Grandmother's firm but comforting presence, but she didn't. Colwell eventually asked one of the officers to take Maggie to a hotel, so she could get some rest. Maggie was almost carried into the back of the police car, and then into the hotel, where she finally fell into a dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Maggie stirred and blinked the sleep out of her heavy eyes as she tried to remember where she was. She knew she was in a hotel room, as she could tell from the bland decor and simple photos hanging above the bed. But this wasn't Maggie's hotel in New York, where she should be. As the previous night's events flooded back to Maggie, she felt like a heavy weight was crushing down on her, and her head fell into her hands in despair. A gentle knock on the door made Maggie jump, and she weakly called for the knocker to come in. Light swept into the room as the door opened, and Detective Colwell entered swiftly and quietly, closing the door behind him.

"How're you feeling, Miss Thyme?" He asked, his voice full of concern for the young girl sat helpless in front of him.

Maggie's eyes instantly started welling with tears, and she tried to maintain her cool as she replied, "How do you think?" The detective sighed and moved to sit on the bottom of the bed. Instinctively, Maggie pulled her legs up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them as if to make a barrier.

"I know this is hard for you, Miss Thyme," the detective began, "We are here to do our best to help you and to catch the people who did this. We found some fingerprints throughout the property which we have high hopes will identify the culprits. We will need to take yours also, just to rule out the obvious, but we think we will get some promising results." Maggie tuned out the detective. She didn't want to know what the police were or were not doing. She just wanted the people who threw her life into turmoil to pay for what they had done.

"And what about my Grandmother?" Maggie asked, barely able to utter the words. "Do you know what killed her yet?" The detective looked down and nodded slowly.

"Yes, we've had the results back from the post mortem. They've confirmed your Grandmother died of a heart attack. There was no foul play." Maggie breathed, almost relieved. She hated the idea of Evelyn suffering and being terrified before she died. Although, Maggie thought to herself, whoever broke in and stole the journal still left her all alone, and maybe it was the fear of being burgled that caused Evelyn's heart to give in anyway.

A fresh wave of anger overcame Maggie. She leapt off the bed, and turned to face the detective with determination. "Those people who broke into my house are still to blame for my Grandmother's death." She spoke the words very slowly, as if to make it easier for the seasoned officer to understand. "I want them found and I want to see them pay for what they've done."

The detective cleared his throat and stood up. "Don't worry, Miss Thyme," he said, almost dismissing Maggie's demand, "we will see that justice is brought to those who deserve it. Right now, we need to worry about you. Do you have somewhere to stay?"

Maggie stopped suddenly, as she realised she hadn't thought of what was going to happen to her now. She couldn't go back to her Grandmother's manor, not now at least. Maggie wasn't sure she would ever want to go back to there anyway, not after all that had happened. She didn't have many friends that she could call, and she was pretty sure that if her mother even bothered to pick up the phone, she would be hung up on. Maggie collapsed back onto the bed, and shook her head weakly. The detective sighed as he understood, and radioed somebody to make more permanent arrangements for Maggie to stay. Maggie closed her ears as she tried to drown out the conversation going on beside her. To them, she was just a case. A file that would get shelved away and forgotten about. But for Maggie, her whole world had come crashing down around her. She'd been so sure about the way her life would go, but now, Maggie was left hopelessly worrying.

The next few days went by in a blur for Maggie. She was assigned a case worker, who helped her find somewhere to stay until she was able to move to Columbia. Someone had been in touch with the administrators office at Columbia, who of course, offered Maggie a place at the school in an instant. In the letter she received, the school insisted it was due to her "incredible knowledge and tenacity of her interest that made her an outstanding candidate" but Maggie suspected it was more of a sympathy vote, due to her place being offered as part of a full scholarship. Maggie didn't really care what the motives were. At least she had somewhere to go, to focus on. Somewhere to start fresh. She had just a few days of this nightmare, and then she could put it all behind her.

Evelyn's funeral was to be held a week after the break in, once the police were satisfied that her death was of natural causes, and they weren't looking for a murderer. Maggie had planned the entire thing on her own, denying the help of her case worker. She didn't want a stranger to interfere with her Grandmother's funeral, Maggie had thought to herself when the help was first offered. She'd faked a smile and made up some rubbish about having it all planned out already, but in reality, Maggie didn't know where to start. Somehow though, she was able to pull something together, and had even managed to get in touch with a few of her Grandmother's old contacts who all said they'd come. There wasn't a huge guest list; Evelyn had isolated herself quite some years ago, but Maggie did receive a call from a reporter who said he'd like to put something about the funeral in the paper. He had followed Evelyn's work throughout the years, he said. Maggie had given him the details, but didn't expect anyone else to come. Her own parents had ignored Maggie's calls and messages about the funeral, why would complete strangers turn up? Maggie preferred the idea of a small affair. It had always been just her and Evelyn, and she felt that having too many people there would ruin her chance to say goodbye.

Maggie's heart always clenched when she thought about having to say goodbye. She still expected Evelyn to just call her up, or walk through the door, and somehow that seemed to keep her alive in Maggie's mind. The funeral would confirm something that she didn't, or couldn't, accept yet. Still, as the days dragged on and the funeral drew closer, Maggie began to focus her mind on Columbia, and the glimmer of hope that maybe her future wasn't completely over. By the night before the funeral, Maggie almost couldn't wait for it to be over, so she could finally put this behind her, and concentrate on moving forward.

On the morning of the funeral, the sun rose early and began steadily clearing the mist that covered the grounds of Evelyn's manor, promising a warm, breezy day. Maggie had got there early to meet the funeral car that would take Maggie and the rest of the funeral procession to the cemetery. She shivered as she stepped through the front door to the large hallway, and looked around at the familiar surroundings. Maggie no longer enjoyed staying here for a great length of time; all she could see when she looked around were reminders of the night her Grandmother died. Tears clouded her view as Maggie moved slowly into the kitchen, and saw the framed articles that hung proudly on the wall, telling the stories of Evelyn's wonderous finds over the years. Blinking the tears away, Maggie slowly made her way along the wall, reading each one with awakened interest. "I'm sorry, Gran," Maggie wept quietly as she finished reading the frames. "I promise, I'll make you proud."

The doorbell rang, and Maggie tidied her tear-smudged makeup and stood tall, determined to see through on her promise. She would continue her Grandmother's work and carry on Evelyn's dream. She would do it all for her. Maggie welcomed the guests, an old professor who had worked with Evelyn briefly at the Museum a long time ago, and accepted their condolences in a calm, polite manner. "Don't cry in front of people", Maggie thought to herself, "You have to be strong. Act like she would."

Soon, the manor began to fill up with people, as more and more turned up to show their respects. Maggie was quite shocked; she hadn't expected quite so many people to show, but a few people said they'd seen the article in the paper and had wanted to pay their respects.

"She was a tough old bird," one man said, "She didn't suffer fools gladly, but she was bloody good at digging up a tomb!"

A few more people turned up, and Maggie found herself listening to stories about her Grandmother she'd never been told before. Maggie felt calmer, hearing people talk about Evelyn's old adventures. The sly old woman wasn't quite as proper as she had always led Maggie to believe. Maggie smiled to herself, that was just like her Gran, she thought fondly.

Finally the funeral cars arrived, and Maggie got into the front car alone, as everyone else organised themselves, and the procession slowly made its way to the cemetery, following Evelyn in her final ever journey. Once hidden away from outside eyes, Maggie allowed herself to shed a few final tears, before resuming the cool exterior she had developed. Once the procession made it to the cemetery, Maggie lead the way inside, and was welcomed by Reverend Brown, the priest who would be leading the service. He was a short, kind looking man, whose eyes crinkled behind his heavily magnified glasses.

"Miss Thyme, welcome" The priest greeted her as he took her hand in both of his. "I'm terribly sorry for your loss. I hope today will be of some comfort to you." Maggie felt her eyes begin to well up again, but she fought to keep them back, and instead smiled weakly and looked at her feet.

"Thank you." Maggie replied quietly. She excused herself quickly, and made her way to her seat at the front. Nerves began to swirl in her stomach, and her mouth became suddenly dry as she tried to remember what she wanted to say.

Once everyone was settled, a quiet piece of classical music began playing softly, and Maggie struggled to look as Evelyn was carried carefully to the front of the church. The pallbearers gently placed Evelyn down, and bowed their heads respectfully as they departed. A lump began to grow in the back of Maggie's throat, and she took a deep breath to calm herself. Reverend Brown began his sermon, as he discussed how as part of the miracle of life, death also plays an important part. He talked about some of Evelyn's achievements over the years, all the things she accomplished in her long years. Maggie's thoughts trailed to some of the stories she'd been told that very morning, stories that she would have never thought possible, and smiled. Her Grandmother remained a mysterious woman until the very last.

Maggie vaguely heard her name being mentioned, and was immediately brought back to the room. She looked up at the priest, who was watching at her expectantly, and realised it was her turn to speak. She stood slowly, her heart suddenly pounding again, and made her way to the pulpit. As she turned to face the rows, her eyes caught a movement at the back. The door had just closed to, and someone was making their way to the corner when they stopped suddenly. Maggie tried to see if it was someone she recognised, but their face was just blocked from her view. She turned her focus back to the scrunched up notes she had stashed in her purse, and glanced up at the room. She didn't expect so many people to turn up, so she hadn't written much. Maggie swallowed and cleared her throat.

"My Grandmother was an inspiring woman. She was bold, and strong, and she taught me to never give up on what I wanted. She worked hard in every aspect of her life, and she was able to experience things that most people could only ever dream of. Some people saw her as strange, but she was a witty, intelligent woman and I am proud to say I am her Granddaughter. Evelyn Thyme was not someone to be taken lightly, but she was passionate and above all else, kind. She has raised and inspired me throughout my entire life, and I have made a promise that I am going to continue her legacy and name through my own endeavours. Thank you for everything, Gran. You'll never leave me."

Maggie looked out across the room, as she was met with tearful looks from her Grandmother's colleagues. She walked slowly over to her Grandmother's coffin, and gently kissed her fingers and placed them on the lid. Quietly, she whispered "Love you, Gran." and moved back to her seat.

As she turned to sit down, the priest asked if anybody else wanted to say anything, and her eyes caught a figure in the back corner of the church. A pair of shocked hazel eyes met with hers, as a young man in a faded denim jacket and dark jeans leaned against the wall. Maggie paused for a moment as she stared at the stranger, realising it must have been him who had entered late. From the brief glimpse she got, Maggie tried to remember seeing his face before, but she had no recollection. She sat down, and turned to look for him, but she couldn't find those piercing eyes anywhere amongst the faces. He must have gone. Maggie's brow furrowed as she wondered who he was. He couldn't have worked with her Grandmother, he looked about the same age as Maggie, so he would have been too young. Maybe he was a student who had been to one of her lectures? She'd given a few over the last couple of years, but had had to stop due to her health, much against her will. "But then, why did he disappear?" Maggie thought to herself. It was strange. For the rest of the service, Maggie found herself distracted with guessing who the mysterious stranger was at the back of the church.


	5. Chapter 5

Samuel Drake ducked behind a bush and held his breath, the sound of his heartbeat filling his ears. He waited for a moment, listening for the sound of footsteps,and when he was satisfied that he hadn't been followed, he turned and made his way back through the bushes the way he came. Just two days previously, he'd been sat in a cafe with Nathan, his younger brother of 5 years. He'd managed to scrape some change together, mostly from pickpocketing, and had wanted to treat Nathan to a decent breakfast. They were sat waiting for their food, Nathan talking excitedly about all the places they could travel to, whilst Sam read the paper absentmindedly. His hazel eyes browsed through the pages, but he stopped when a heading caught his eye in the obituary section.

"Funeral to be held for esteemed historian and explorer, Evelyn Thyme" it read. Sam felt sick as he looked at the photo, and recognised the grey, wrinkled eyes that seemed to stare straight through him out of the page. Without revealing anything to Nathan, he'd quickly skimmed the article to get the details, and then stashed the paper in his backpack.

He didn't know why he even wanted to go to the old lady's funeral. It wasn't exactly as though he'd known the woman who had returned his mother's journal to him and his baby brother, but he'd felt guilty about leaving her the way they did. He'd argued internally about going right up until the morning of the funeral, but he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep soundly at night if he didn't. "You could take the boy out of the Catholic orphanage, but you couldn't take the Catholic out of the orphan after all" he'd thought solemnly. The paper said the funeral was only going to be a small affair, so against his better judgement, he had found himself stood outside the church that was listed in the paper. He hid behind a corner until he heard music begin to play, and once he thought it was safe, he snuck in through the door, just as it was about to close.

Sam was making his way to the corner, when a girl stood up at the front, making him stop in his tracks for a moment. He gazed intently at the girl, but quickly looked away when he noticed her returning his look. He darted behind a pillar which stood just next to him, in case anybody else saw him and recognised him, silently regretting coming in the first place. He heard a throat clear, and he peeked round at the girl who was now stood facing the rows of mourners.

"My Grandmother was an inspiring woman," the girl began, and Sam's ears pricked at the words.

Grandmother? The old lady hadn't looked much like a Grandmother, he thought but then, they hadn't exactly met her under normal circumstances, so why would she? Still, he had had a good look around the old lady's house, and whilst there was a lot of newspaper articles and photos, there were very few that had actual living people in them.

Sam moved from behind the pillar and leaned against the back wall to get a better view. He studied the girl's features as he listened, and he became entranced by her round, heavy eyes which threatened to overflow with tears any minute. As he gazed, Sam found himself lost in thought, replaying the events that had really thrown his and his brother's lives into turmoil, more so than they already had been. By some horrendous misfortune, they had found themselves on the run from the law, living under false names, and clinging onto an old dream just because he was a reckless idiot who had been desperate to make Nathan forgive him for leaving.

"Still," Sam thought to himself, "At least we're back together. Now it can be just the start of another adventure." Sam had always loved the thrill of adventure ever since he was a kid, no matter what it was. Something he had inherited from his mom, he'd often thought. He smiled bittersweetly as he remembered all the times he'd gotten into trouble when he was young; how his Dad would be the one to chastise him, and his mom would always be the one to defend him.

She'd always encouraged his adventurous "spirit" as she called it, and every night she would whisper "You're destined for greatness, you and Nathan, I just know it." Sam's heart constricted tightly as he thought of his mother. He saw so much of her in Nathan, and whilst he would never say anything to his younger brother, it made him miss her more every day.

He remembered how he felt when she'd died; Nathan was a bit too young, so he couldn't really remember, but Sam saw it all too vividly in his mind. They hadn't even known she was sick, she had always tried to protect them from the harsh realities of the world, but after her death Sam became all too familiar with these realities, and so he'd always felt it was his duty to try and protect his brother from the same thing. Sam struggled though, never 100% sure what the right thing to do would be, and so they had often found themselves in trouble. That was partly why Sam had left the orphanage in the first place. He had wanted Nathan to have a more stable childhood, but naturally after everything that had happened in the last week, that too was now a long lost dream.

Suddenly, Sam became very aware that "those" eyes had moved from the pulpit, and as he looked around for the girl, he made eye contact with her just as she was about to sit back down. Sam was left stunned for a moment, before he remembered where he was and why he was there in the first place. He didn't want to risk getting caught by anybody, so as soon as it was safe, he stealthed his way back to the door and hurried out into the busy street. After catching his breath and ensuring it was still safe, Sam made his way through the backstreets of Boston, climbing onto roofs and shimmying down drainpipes, until he finally reached the other side of the town to small hostel he was staying in temporarily with his brother.

He'd told Nathan he was going to meet some contacts who'd be able to get them the papers they needed to be able to travel under their "new" name. In truth, he'd already got them sorted some time ago, back when he'd first left the orphanage, and had dreamed of running away with Nathan. Although he'd never actually considered the possibility that it could become a reality. Sam walked into the hostel, and made his way up to the first floor to the room he was sharing with his brother, who was still asleep in the bottom part of the bunk bed they were sharing. Sam laughed softly to himself and rolled his eyes. Dropping his backpack on the floor under their bed, he plonked himself down, waking Nathan up with a start.

"Huh? Timesit?" Nathan asked sleepily.

"It's time you got up, little brother!" Sam replied, shaking his brother manically, laughing as Nathan struggled under his blanket trying to fight Sam off. "Come on, Nathan! We've got a trip to plan!" Sam called with excitement, standing up and pulling the blanket with him.

Eventually, Nathan complied, and about 15 minutes later, both Morgan (now Drake) boys were sat in a quiet corner of their new favourite cafe, studying an array of maps and notes. Nathan was looking for information about a ring that had supposedly been given to Francis Drake by Queen Elizabeth I, whilst Sam was flicking through his Mother's old journal, trying to find any clues as to where they should begin their search.

As he was studying his Mother's scribbles, Sam couldn't help but think back to the mornings' events and the mysterious Granddaughter who had obviously noticed him. He thought about her face when she'd seen him. She hadn't appeared angry, and she didn't seem to recognise him, but he couldn't help but worry that she knew who he was and what he'd done. He thought back to what she'd said about continuing her Grandmother's legacy, and wondered what she'd meant by that. She didn't exactly appear outgoing or adventurous to him, but he'd always been taught to never judge a book by it's cover.

Sighing, Sam pushed the girl and the funeral to the back of his mind, and focused on the matter at hand. He had made a promise to Nathan that night about doing great things, and he didn't want to let him down. He saw this as an opportunity that had been gifted to them by their mother and the strange old lady, and he didn't see the point in wasting his time worrying about some girl he was probably never going to see again.

If only he knew about the strange twist of fate that one day would have their worlds colliding.


	6. Chapter 6

[Five Years Later]

Maggie collapsed on her bed, muddy and exhausted. She'd just got back to her apartment in New York after a long and tiresome trip to Colombia to research "La Tunda", the ancient legend about a vampire-like demon who was said to obtain its powers from a large powerful stone called the blood ruby. Her trip had taken much longer than expected, when she came across trouble in a small village on the Atrato River. Maggie was looking for the last known location of the stone, and was trying to find the city known as La Ciudad Perdida. As she searched for the ancient city, which had been lost for centuries, she came across some villagers who didn't exactly take to outsiders.

The villagers accused Maggie of trying to steal the power of La Tunda for herself, and she'd spent the last 3 weeks playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse, which included poison arrows and toxic gas bombs. She'd caught a lucky break one day, when she slipped into a natural well after hiding from some village scouts. Despite falling down a 30 foot hole, Maggie was able to escape after she found a narrow underground stream just wide enough for her to crawl through. After dragging her sorry ass for hours through muddy water, Maggie had emerged in a vast cave and it was here that Maggie found the stone.

Unfortunately it didn't get easier for Maggie after that. She still had to find her way out of the cave which took her over a day, and once she'd escaped the caves, she found herself lost in part of the Colombian rainforest with a broken compass and a half sodden map, which looked as though it could disintegrate with one touch. Thankfully, Maggie was not afraid of a challenge, and the years of camping and survivalist activities she had undertaken with her Grandmother meant she was adept at coping in these kinds of circumstances. Using the sun as her guide, Maggie spent the next three days navigating her way expertly through the wilderness, until she finally heard the hubub of a local town and welcomed the busy streets, which were overflowing with cars and people.

Maggie had spent a night here, and slept at the small, overcrowded airport whilst she waited for her flight the next morning. Once in the sky, Maggie slept peacefully for the first time in days, blissfully ignoring the grumbles of people around her as her smell wafted around the plane.

Maggie woke up, dazed and confused. Her hands gripped her light purple bed sheets as she lay sprawled on her bed, looking around at her familiar surroundings. She was home. Maggie groaned as she sat up, her body aching in parts she hadn't previously known. As Maggie studied her large airy bedroom, she noticed mud splatters on opposite walls, from where she had flung her boots in exhaustion.

"Great." Maggie muttered to herself. She eased herself gently from the bed, and peeled herself out of her clothes, which were still muddy and slightly damp. She tossed her clothes in her washing basket, and grabbed a towel out of the cupboard. Maggie trudged across the hall to her bathroom, her muscles burning with every step. She turned on the shower and examined at her reflection while she waited for the water to warm. Mud covered every exposed bit of skin, and dried blood clung to Maggie's hair and forehead from where she had fallen down the well. Maggie examined the numerous cuts and scrapes she had acquired on her trip; she smiled as she counted. Thirteen, two less than last time. She was getting better.

Maggie climbed into the shower as steam filled the bathroom. She stood under the water for a moment, enjoying the hot water running over her, washing away the mud and relaxing her muscles. As she massaged shampoo into her hair, Maggie recounted the trip in her mind. It was only supposed to be a research trip but, as always, things didn't go exactly as planned. Maggie smiled as she thought about her boss at the Museum where she worked, and what he'd say when she showed him the fruits of her labours.

Mick Flannagan was a miserable old man with a kind heart. He didn't like to admit it, ever, but he had a soft spot for Maggie and always worried about her when she was away. He saw her as the daughter he never had, but he treated her like she nothing but a nuisance. A thorn in his side that he couldn't get rid of. Maggie smiled when she recalled the conversation they'd had before she'd left.

"Listen to me, girl," Mick had growled, a cigar hanging from his mouth as he'd scowled at Maggie. "Where you're going to is a dangerous place. Full of dangerous people, who'd kill you as soon as they look at you. Don't you go getting yourself into trouble, you hear me? I don't want to go through the hassle of all that bloody paperwork because you went and did something stupid like get yourself shot!"

"Relax, Mick!" Maggie smirked, "Last time, I only broke my shoulder. No bullet wounds or nothing!"

"Just don't go sneaking into any places you shouldn't, got it? This is a research trip ONLY! You find out what you need to, and you get your sorry ass back here in two weeks! I don't want to get a phone call from the American-bloody-Embassy telling me you've been arrested!"

Maggie laughed to herself as she switched off the shower. She knew Mick wouldn't be happy with her, she was a week later than she should have been. "But," Maggie smiled to herself, "At least you've got a nice little present to make up for it!" She knew her miserable boss/mentor would grumble for a few days, but would soon be telling everybody about the latest treasure his "greatest prodigy" had returned for him.

Maggie wrapped herself in a towel, and walked refreshed back to her room. She sighed as she stripped the bed sheets and added them to the pile of washing mounting in the basket, and walked over to her dresser to run a brush through her towel dried hair. After her long brown hair had been tamed into a fishtail plait, Maggie began working on her makeup. She was applying the last strokes of mascara to her long sweeping eyelashes, when a picture caught her eye. It was of her Graduation ceremony, and tucked in the corner of the frame was a small, crumpled picture of Evelyn. Maggie smiled sadly as she gazed at the pictures.

After Evelyn's funeral, Maggie moved to Columbia University and left her old life behind. She threw herself into her studies, never revealing her past to her college friends and peers. Even when they asked why she never left for the holidays, Maggie would just smile and change the subject. Maggie changed from an angry, fearful girl into a calm and serene young woman. She behaved exactly as her Grandmother had done, never revealing her true feelings, always polite, but firm and strong. Her knowledge and ambition were her greatest assets, and while she was popular with her like-minded classmates, she chose to have very few friends. Maggie graduated top of her class from Columbia University two years ago, and was instantly offered a job at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. There she came under the wing of Mick, who had hired her based on the recommendation of Professor Simon Hewitt, the man who had interviewed her, and became one of her favourite teachers.

Maggie had worked at the Museum for the last two years, and loved it. Mick didn't like to travel, so he was more than happy to hand off all long distance trips to Maggie who, of course, was thrilled. She could travel all over the world, and preferred working on her own anyway. Mick had learned very early on that Maggie wasn't a team player; when she first started at the museum she would often sneak into exploration sites on her own, and used her natural talents to find more than one priceless artifact for the Museum, much to the annoyance of her colleagues who often said that she was "stealing their thunder". Numerous arguments broke out in Mick's office, and eventually Mick decided it was less of a headache to give Maggie her own projects to work on. The first couple of assignments he'd given, Mick had insisted that Maggie take at least one other person with her, but after the first one didn't even come back after his first day, and the next one came back with several broken bones and tried to sue the Museum, Mick quickly gave up on that hope too.

Still, Maggie had proved that she was worth all the headaches she had given Mick, as it was not very often she returned home empty handed. She had even started to build her own collection of treasures, things that the Museum didn't want, and sometimes Maggie was able to sell things to private collectors who often paid well over price, earning Maggie a tidy little side income.

A thunderous knock at Maggie's door interrupted her thoughts. Quickly pulling on some faded denim jeans and a dark grey vest top, Maggie hurried to answer.

"Hold your horses, I'm coming!" Maggie yelled, annoyed at the intrusion. She opened the door and jumped back in surprise, as her best friend Tom came rushing into her apartment looking annoyed and flustered. He was a tall, skinny man in his early twenties, with messy blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was a doctor, who had been Maggie's roommate when she first left Columbia, and they'd hit it off straight away. They had shared an apartment for just over a year, until Tom met his girlfriend and had moved out. There had never been anything romantic between the two friends; Tom had always been more of a brother to Maggie, and always looked out for her and treated her injuries when she needed it. He didn't much like adventure though, and would often chastise Maggie for going off on her own. He and Mick shared the same attitude when it came to Maggie's work, and he was often in contact with Mick when Maggie was away, checking for any news.

"Where the hell have you been, Maggie?!" Tom yelled, grabbing Maggie's shoulders and holding her away from him, checking her for any injuries. "I've been worried sick about you, you were supposed to be back a week ago!"

"Calm down, Tom!" Maggie replied impatiently, shrugging off his grip and moving to the large, open kitchen. "I'm fine, I just got back this morning!"

"Well, why didn't you let me know you were safe? Anything could have happened!" Tom asked, noticing the cut on Maggie's forehead. Maggie yelped as Tom grabbed her chin, pulling her closer to him so he could inspect her wound. He pulled her over to the table, and sat down opposite Maggie so he could examine her better.

"You know, they didn't exactly have phones in the rainforest, Tom" Maggie retorted sarcastically, as Tom began rooting through his bag, grabbing some gauze and antisceptic wash. Maggie winced as Tom began treating the cut, bathing it gently, before allowing it to dry naturally as he pulled a needle and thread from his bag.

"Keep still," he warned Maggie, as he began stitching. "You're lucky it's not too deep, this could have been nasty." Tom murmered quietly as he concentrated, "What happened?"

"I fell down a well" Maggie replied sheepishly, whilst Tom rolled his eyes. "I got into a bit of trouble with some locals. But it turned out fine!" she added hastily as she saw Tom's eyes flash in anger as he finished his handiwork.

"You really are hopeless, Maggie" he said, packing away his things. "I've lost count of how many times I've told you not to go on these trips alone. Mick and I were ready to go looking for you, you've never been this late before!"

"I know," Maggie sighed, feeling bad for worrying her friend. "I'm sorry"

Tom smiled, pulling Maggie in for a deep, welcoming hug. "Well at least you're safe, that's the main thing. And the good news is, you're not too late!"

"Too late for what?" Maggie asked, sitting back to question her friend.

"Didn't you see my note?" Tom asked and Maggie should her head. Tom sighed and went to the fridge, grabbing a scrap of paper from the door. He handed it to Maggie as he sat back down. "I've been coming here every day for the last week," Tom explained. "Mick said he's got another job for you, he wanted you to go see him as soon as you got back."

Maggie studied the note as she replied, "Another job? Already? What is it?"

"Like I know!" Tom laughed, "You're the treasure hunter, not me! But I suggest you get down to the Museum, quickly. Mick was saying he would need to get somebody else to do it if you didn't come back soon. I think this is something big!"

"Shit!" Maggie cried, jumping to her feet. "I need to go!" She ran around her apartment, grabbing her her jacket from where it had been dropped on the floor and scouting around for her clean boots. She finally located both boots and hurried to put them on as she hopped towards the front door, Tom laughing as he followed.

"Shut up," Maggie growled, before stopping suddenly in the doorway. "Wait, how did you get into my apartment?" She asked, turning to face her friend.

"You let me in?" Tom replied, smirking.

"Thomas," Maggie warned. "You know what I mean. How did you get in to leave me the note?"

"Well obviously, I still have my key!" he laughed, dangling his keys in front of Maggie. Maggie scowled, and tried to snatch the keys from her friend, but he was too quick. "Oh, come on!" Tom smiled as he held the keys out of Maggie's reach, "Don't you think it's best if I hang on to these? We never know when I'm gonna need to break in to save you!"

Maggie huffed, as she shoved Tom through her door and followed him, locking the door behind her. Secretly, she agreed with him, but she was never going to let him know that.

"Come on," Maggie chuckled, hurrying to catch up with her friend, "Let's see what treasure is waiting for me this time!"


	7. Chapter 7

Once she'd arrived at the Museum, Maggie parked her car and made her way around to the main entrance. There was a back door that led straight to Mick's office, but Maggie often enjoyed walking through the visitors entrance and observing some of the terrific discoveries that were on display. As she walked past one of her favourites, an ancient gold statue of Huitzilopochtli the Aztec sun god, she overheard a young boy, who looked about 7 or 8, moaning to his dad.

"Come on, Dad! Let's go!" The boy whined, kicking his foot on the marble floor. "This is boring!"

The boy's dad turned to him and replied, "Don't say that, Son. Everything in this building is an important part of History, and has got a fascinating story to tell."

"That's right," Maggie said, walking over to the pair. "Take Huitzilopochtli, here. He was said to bring great luck to the Aztec warriors who fought in battle."

"Really?" The little boy asked, suddenly interested. Maggie nodded as she reached them, and knelt down to the boy's level.

"History tells us that the Aztecs used to offer Human sacrifices to this guy on the eve of battle, and pray for his protection," She continued, "but sometimes, they'd offer him children who didn't listen to their fathers." As Maggie rose, she smiled and winked at the boy, whose face had gone suddenly pale. The father laughed as he took his son's hand, and Maggie said farewell to the pair as she continued her route to Mick's office. Walking up the large marble staircase that would lead her to the offices in the back, Maggie made her way through the Museum, greeting people occasionally as she went.

"Maggie! Hold up!" A squeaky voice shouted behind her. Maggie turned, and stopped when she recognised the short, bespectacled man that scurried towards her.

"Howard, how are you?" Maggie asked, smiling as she greeted her colleague. Howard was a balding middle aged man, who worked with Maggie in the Museum, restoring the treasures that she found. Howard was obsessed with legends, and he and Maggie had spent many a late night researching the stories behind some of the weird and wonderful finds she had given him.

"Maggie!" Howard wheezed as he tried to catch his breath. "Have you seen Mick yet?"

"Not yet, I'm just on my way up there now."

"You need to hurry! He's got somebody coming to discuss this next project as we speak!" Howard wiped his brow as he and Maggie ascended the stairs.

"Shit, I need to go, I'll see you later, Howard!" Maggie called, quickening her pace into a run. "I've got another clean up project for you, I'll drop it by later!" Maggie didn't hear Howard's reply as she ran up the stairs, taking two steps at a time, and through the large double doors that would take her to Mick's office.

Flying round the corners, Maggie made her way expertly through the long, familiar corridors to the far side of the Museum, where Mick's small office was nestled. She cursed herself for deciding to take the long route to see her mentor. Maggie turned the final corner, and as she spotted Mick's closed door, she quickened her speed into a full blown sprint. Maggie charged down the length of the final corridor, and realised as she got closer that she was going to crash. Mick had made his door intentionally difficult to open, to try and deter people from visiting him unexpectedly. Maggie desperately tried to slow her speed, but the momentum kept her going, and she braced herself for impact. Just as she was about to reach the door, Mick appeared with two men behind him, who turned with surprise as they heard Maggie come thundering up behind them.

"Mick, look out!" She shouted, waving her arms frantically. Mick yelped and tried desperately to unlock his door, but as Maggie charged towards him, he darted to the side just in time to let Maggie come crashing straight into the heavy door. She collapsed in a heap on the floor, groaning as her shoulder burned from taking the full impact of the solid wood. The three men winced at the sound Maggie made as she crumpled.

"Jesus Maggie, what the hell are you playing at?" Mick huffed as he helped her stand.

"I was coming to see you!" Maggie complained, massaging her shoulder. "Why did you just let me crash? You could have at least opened the door first!"

"And let you destroy my office like a bull in a china shop? I don't think so!" Mick grumbled, pulling Maggie aside so he open the door. "Where the bloody hell have you been, anyway?! You're a week late!"

"Yeah I know, sorry. I ran into a few obstacles." Maggie flashed a smile at her scowling mentor. "Don't you worry, it was worth it! I've got you a, uh, present." Maggie continued, noticing the strangers properly for the first time.

Staring at her with a dumbfounded expression, were the two men. One was slightly older, in his early forties, and had slicked back mahogany hair and a full, matching moustache. His wide, shocked eyes were grey, and he wore some light beige cargo pants with a white vest covered by a dark blue shirt decorated with white flowers. Beside him, and looking equally as shocked was a much younger man. He was somewhere in his early twenties with brown hair which was slightly longer than his companion, and looked as though he had attempted to style, but had given up halfway through. His piercing hazel eyes were locked on Maggie, and he wore faded denim jeans with a plain black t-shirt. Both men were well built with tall frames and strong arms, and carried themselves in a way that suggested they were not afraid of using their fists were they required. They had both jumped out of the way as Maggie came hurtling towards them, arms raised slightly as if to defend themselves from Maggie's flying limbs.

As Maggie righted herself, she couldn't help but stare at the younger man. He seemed familiar to her; she definitely recognised those penetrating eyes, but she couldn't place where she had seen him before. A feeling of suspicion crept over Maggie. She had always been good at remembering people, and this familiar stranger made her feel uneasy. Her eyes narrowed as his gaze met hers, and his face broke into a charming grin. "Like what you see, sweetheart?" he asked, flashing his teeth at Maggie as he adjusted himself into a more relaxed position, leaning against the wall. Maggie's face turned red and she scoffed, ignoring the man, and stalked into Mick's office ahead of him and his two guests.

Mick's office was small and cluttered, with stacks of books and papers piled up on the floor, reaching well above the height of the desk. Mick's desk itself was kept empty, except for a couple of books stacked neatly, and a desk lamp positioned carefully behind a large magnifying glass which was Mick's favourite tool. There was nothing personal on Mick's desk; he had no family to take pictures of, and he wasn't sentimental with any of his colleagues. Dust floated in the light streams that seeped through the cracks in Mick's blinds. Some people called it stuffy, but Maggie found it quite comforting. It reminded her of Evelyn.

Maggie plonked herself down in her usual seat as Mick walked in behind her, whispering with the two men. Maggie deliberately ignored both of them as they sat down either side of her her, and concentrated on Mick who was walking round to his desk. Mick ran his hands through his greying hair, and his bushy eyebrows furrowed as he frowned at Maggie.

"Right, first things first," Mick growled, "Why the hell are you only just strolling into my office a week later than you were supposed to?"

"Mick, can't we talk about this later?" Maggie hissed, shooting glances at the men sat beside her. "You know, when we're alone?"

"Definitely not. You best have a bloody good excuse for going AWOL, girl!"

Maggie scowled at Mick. He could be so difficult sometimes. Reaching into her jacket pocket, Maggie pulled the blood ruby from her pocket, and plonked it on the desk in front of her. All three men gasped and leaned in closer to get a better look at the stone.

"Is this..." Mick began, picking the stone up and bringing it closer to inspect.

"The blood ruby? Yeah." Maggie shrugged, leaning back into her chair. Mick's eyes darted between the stone and her, for once unable to speak. He turned the stone over in his hands, examining every inch for any signs of damage.

"Where did you get this?" The older man, who was to sat to her right, asked with intrigue.

"Picked it up in a cave in Colombia." Maggie replied nonchalantly, reluctantly turning to the man.

"We agreed you were only supposed to be doing research!" Mick interrupted, angrily. "What the hell were you doing in a cave?"

"Well it wasn't exactly on the itinerary, Mick!" Maggie exclaimed. "I fell down a well, and it was my only way out!" Mick massaged his temples, a sure sign he was pissed off. Maggie sighed as she reached for the stone. "Look Mick," Maggie spoke softly, in an attempt to reassure her mentor. "I promise I had no intention of actually getting the stone. But when I was travelling to do some research I ran into some trouble in a village, and I came across the cave when I was hiding."

"So how did you cut your head?" Mick's eyes flashed to the stitches on Maggie's forehead.

"I... I fell down a well." Maggie muttered as Mick buried his face in his hands. Beside her, the young man snorted. Maggie whipped her head round angrily. "Problem?" She snapped. The man took to coughing to try and cover his laughter.

"Uh, no... No problem at all" he coughed weakly. Maggie glared at him as he tried to recompose himself. Mick hushed the two as he grabbed the stone out of Maggie's open palm, and studied it intently under his magnifying glass. Maggie had seen this look before. Mick was trying to distract himself from the details of Maggie's trip, and instead focus on the one positive thing he could think of. After a moment of silence, Mick took a deep breath and placed the stone carefully on his desk.

"Well, what's done is done. It's too bloody late now." he grumbled as he raised his eyes to look at Maggie. "You can get the forms, this time. I'm sick of going up and down those stairs. It hurts my joints. Fill them out later and bring them to me to sign." Maggie began to protest, but Mick raised his finger to silence her. "Enough about that now, we've got more important things to discuss.

Maggie, meet an old associate of mine, Victor Sullivan." Maggie turned to face the older man, who smiled and held his hand out to greet her.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss. Call me Sully" he said charmingly. Maggie mumbled a greeting as she grasped his hand firmly and shook, unsmiling. The man ignored the unwelcoming response and gestured to the younger man sat on the opposing side, "This here is Sam, Sam Drake. He's a colleague of mine."

Sam Drake's eyes narrowed slightly as he snuck a look at Victor over Maggie's shoulder, but he quickly recomposed himself as she turned to face him. "How's it going?" he smiled, saluting Maggie casually. Maggie scowled as she nodded curtly as Sam, and turned to face Mick sharply.

"Why are they here? You've got me!" Maggie asked accusingly.

"For Christ's sake! They are here because you weren't." Mick snapped. "Look Maggie, I know you don't like working with other people, but when you didn't turn up after the two weeks I had no choice. This is a big job and I needed someone here quickly."

"Well I'm here now, so it's fine!"

"It's too late! I've already agreed they can do the job and we've started to work out the details, so you can either work with them, or you can stay here, you decide." Mick glared at Maggie as he put a cigar in his mouth to light. He passed his lighter to Sully, who followed suit with his own cigar. Maggie huffed and said nothing. The atmosphere was thick with tension in the small, crowded office, as silence filled the air. Finally, Mick sighed and leaned forward. "Victor, Sam. Mind giving us a minute here?"

"Sure, no problem." Sully replied calmly as the two men stood. Maggie ignored them and picked up the blood ruby to clean it with her sleeve. Mick waited for Victor and Sam to leave, before he shut the door and pulled the blind down to give him some more privacy.

"Look, Maggie," Mick urged in a hushed tone, "This isn't an easy job. You know you are the only person here I trust to do the job properly. So when you didn't come back, I didn't know what else to do!"

"You could have waited, Mick!" Maggie whispered angrily.

"No, I couldn't!" Mick replied. "The Museum wanted somebody on it straight away, as the competition is fierce on this one. And like I said, you're the only person in this place I can rely on!"

"But why did you have to get those two?" Maggie asked, raising her voice slightly.

"Shh!" Mick leaned in closer and whispered, "Victor and I go way back. We were in the navy together and he was the only person I could think of who would be capable of doing this kind of thing. But I don't trust him, so I can't just kick him off the job in case he goes after it himself!"

Maggie sat back as she considered what Mick had said. She didn't even know what they were after, but it had to be important. "What's the job?" She asked thoughtfully.

"An ancient Polynesian necklace, said to be made by the goddess Taonoui." Mick explained quietly. "Legend says it is made of pure starlight, and it's value is beyond imagination. It was lost off the coast of New Zealand over 1000 years ago."

"New Zealand is a pretty big place," Maggie said. "Do we have anywhere more specific?"

Mick shook his head as he replied, "Not yet. But there is supposed to be an old temple in Hawaii which dictates the story of Taonoui's Necklace. Victor and Sam were planning to start the search there."

Maggie sighed and leaned in to Mick, whispering, "I still don't get it. Why don't we send them on a wild goose chase, and I'll head to Hawaii? We can make up some crap about another temple somewhere else! They'll be none the wiser!"

"No chance." Mick argued quietly. "I've known Sullivan a long time, and he is far too quick to fall for something like that."

"But I don't trust them!" Maggie hissed.

"Neither do I, Maggie! But it's better the Devil you know than the Devil you don't!" Mick growled urgently. "So you keep them sweet, you don't tell them anything, and you tell me if there is any sign of trouble! You got that?!"

Maggie breathed heavily in defeat. She knew Mick was right. It was better to keep those two close, where she could keep an eye on them, than to have them pull the rug out from underneath her and take the necklace for themselves. She closed her eyes and nodded, while Mick exhaled in sharp relief. He rose from behind his desk, and invited Sam and Victor to join them once more. Maggie kept her eyes closed and tried to regain her composure. "You can do this," she thought to herself, "Just stay cool, and you'll be fine." Maggie reopened her eyes and prepared a smile for her new partners.

"So, I guess we're a team?" she said with false enthusiasm. Sully laughed in response and sat down, clapping Maggie on the shoulder.

"Well I'll be goddamned!" Sully laughed, cigar smoking gently in his mouth. "You managed to talk her into it eh, Mick? Still ain't lost that old charm!" Mick scowled at his old acquaintance and coughed uncomfortably. Maggie smirked slightly.

"Well anyway," Mick grumbled, keen to distract attention away from himself. "Let's discuss the next part of the plan. I've caught Maggie up on the basics, but I'll leave you two to fill her in on the rest, got it?" Sam's eyes sparkled as he smiled at Maggie. She caught sight of him out the corner of her eye, and deliberately repositioned herself so she blocked him from view. Sam chuckled to himself and relaxed in his chair. Mick's mouth twitched slightly, and he cleared his throat in order to gain everyone's attention. "The three of you will fly out to Hawaii in three days time, that should give you enough time to map out your route and sort everything you need. Accommodation has already been sorted, although we will need to adjust that slightly to suit Maggie now. Any questions?"

Maggie groaned to herself internally. She had been hoping to have at least a few days to recover, but that was now impossible. But on the other hand, planning a trip was one of her favourite things to do. She nodded at Mick and turned to Sully. "We can meet tomorrow to go through what we'll need. I'll start researching the island and begin planning the best route to take."

"Actually, you'll be working with Sam alone on this one." Sullivan replied cooly, shooting a glance at Sam as he spoke. "I've got some other business I have to attend to, which I'm afraid can't wait. But you'll be in good hands with Sam, he's pretty capable."

"What business?" Mick asked suspiciously.

"Something personal, I'm afraid." Victor replied simply.

Mick grumbled incoherently to himself, but stood after a minute and grasped Sullivan's hand firmly. "I'm trusting you Sullivan," he said, shaking Sully's hand. "You better not let me down."

"Mick, come on!" Sully laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Have I ever let you down before?"

"You don't want me to answer that." Mick muttered, as he turned to shake hands with Sam. Sully grasped Maggie's hand to kiss farewell, and Maggie blushed despite herself. She rose and turned to shake Sam's hand, who took it with firm intention, but grasped it gently as they shook.

"I guess I'll be seeing you, then." He winked at Maggie, his hand still firmly wrapped around hers. "Say tomorrow, 10am? Outside the front of the Museum?" Maggie nodded quietly, unable to find words. Although she didn't trust him, there was something about Sam that intrigued Maggie, and against her better judgement, she found herself beguiled by him.

Maggie waited for the two to leave, and turned to look at her mentor. "I hope you know what you're doing, old man." She said quietly.

"Me too, kid." Mick sighed, turning his attention to the blood ruby once more. "You watch yourself, you hear? I'm serious when I say, the first sign of trouble and you get yourself out."

Maggie rolled her eyes and nodded. She stood quietly and turned to leave. As she reached for the handle, she turned and smiled at Mick. "I hope you like your present." Mick paused for a moment and Maggie saw the corner of his mouth twitch slightly.

"Whatever, kid." he grumbled. Maggie smiled at Mick's thanks, and left him enthralled with his latest prized possession. As she walked down the corridor, she made a list in her head of what she'd need. To start with, a map of Hawaii and New Zealand was the top priority, followed by books on Polynesian myths and legends and a list of every available record she may need. She thought of her new partners, and wondered exactly what preparations they would be making. Maggie decided to stop buy her local hardware store to stock up on some additional provisions she might need; on her past travels, she had found that she could make good use out of some cable ties and rope in a sticky situation. Maggie wanted to be fully prepared for this trip. She didn't trust Sam, and she certainly didn't trust Sullivan, so she had to make sure she was always one step ahead. Maggie didn't like to resort to violence if she could help it, but her Grandmother made sure that Maggie knew that sometimes there wasn't much choice. Maggie made her way down the back stairs of the Museum, and was lost in thought as she climbed into her car and began the first stage of her next adventure, excitement beginning to course throughout her body.


	8. Chapter 8

Sam walked out of the Museum, his thoughts far away as he lit a cigarette, following Victor back to their hotel. He couldn't get Maggie out of his head. He was sure it was her, the girl he had seen at the funeral all those years ago. He'd almost forgotten all about her, pushing her and the old lady to the back of his mind, never dwelling on the past that he and his brother ran away from. But Sam would recognise those penetrating eyes anywhere. Sam inhaled deeply, feeling the instant calming effects of the nicotine, as his cigarette flashed and burned while he pondered silently. He hadn't know her name before, but he was almost certain they were one and the same.

Sam himself had changed much over the last five years. He'd finally lost the boyish charm which had clung to his cheeks, and his thick brown hair, which once swayed to the side, was now slicked back loosely. Stubble now speckled his chin, and his nose was ever-so-slightly crooked from where it had been broken, in one of many fights Sam had found himself caught up in. Thankfully, all the years of running and climbing Sam had done since that night were made worthwhile, as he had developed a strong, muscular body and a decent stamina. Something which helped him with the ladies, Sam had discovered more than once. That, coupled with his debonair smile and devilish charm, of course. A smile crept into Sam's lips at the thought.

Sam's mind travelled back to his first meeting with Victor Sullivan. After they had changed their names, Sam and Nathan had spent most of their time researching the secrets of Francis Drake's heirs. Well, Sam spent most of his time split between helping his brother investigate leads, and looking for a quick way to make money to fund their new lifestyle. He began taking work, from some pretty dangerous people, as a hired thief. He would often be away for days, even weeks at a time, and as he got older, Nate would sometimes help by acting as a distraction. The two boys had been caught more than once, with Sam even being arrested on a few occasions. But Sam was a quick learner, and he'd managed to pick up a few evasive tricks along the way.

As the years passed, it was proving difficult to find any hard evidence of his mother's theory, and Sam's interest in Drake's fabled heirs had started to wane. Nathan, however, was determined to succeed and when he was 15, he'd said to Sam he wanted to go to Cartagena to see a Francis Drake exhibit, and follow up on a potential new lead. Sam had said no, which led to a rare fight between the two brothers, and he'd woken the next morning to find Nathan missing along with his false passport and all of their money gone. Sam had been pissed, but he knew his younger brother could handle himself well enough. Sam had landed himself a job with a local underground antique dealer, so he distracted himself with that whilst his brother was off having his own adventure.

Sam had been hired to act as the getaway driver for a Museum heist; a guy he'd met during a stay in a youth correctional facility had made contact with him about the job, and he'd promised Sam a big reward. "It'll be right up your alley!" Sam had been told, and he'd accepted the job with few questions asked. Unfortunately, the job didn't go quite according to plan, and by the end of the night, Sam found himself in the back of a police car, and looking at a stint of 3 years in real prison for his role in the heist. Sam had been inside for 6 months when he first received word from Nathan, who'd written to him to say he'd returned from Cartagena with some excellent news. He'd been able to retrive the ring that had once belonged to their "ancestor", and had also met Victor Sullivan, a man who claimed he might be able to help them with their search. However, Sam was suspicious of anybody that tried to interfere with him and his brother, and he particularly didn't like it when he heard Sullivan had originally been hired to steal the ring for somebody else, and had been ordered to kill Nathan. Sam expressed his concerns in letters to his younger brother, but Nathan had insisted, so when Sam was finally released 18 months early, he'd reluctantly agreed to meet Nathan's new mentor.

Sam got off at the bus station where they'd arranged to meet, relief flooding through him as he saw the familiar messy hair of his baby brother, as Nathan looked anxiously among the throngs of people. Sam's smile grew wide when Nathan spotted him, and came running through the crowds, yelling as he leaped into Sam's open arms. Sam laughed as he spun his brother round, ignoring the people trying to hurry past them in annoyance. "Oh, it's so good to see you baby brother!" Sam smiled as he placed Nathan back safely on the platform, brushing his shoulders off as Sam examined him closely. "You missed me?"

"So much, Sam!" Nathan exclaimed excitedly, "You won't believe it, I've got loads of stuff to tell you!" The two brothers wandered aimlessly for a while, laughing and talking animatedly. Sam listened with enthusiasm as Nathan recounted his trip. Nathan's eyes sparkled as he spoke, giving as much detail as he could think of, from the artifacts that were on display (which included some of the recovered cannons from Drake's lost ship, The Golden Hind) all the way down to the colour of the floor tiles in the museum (A disgusting reddy-brown colour, according to Nathan). Nathan explained how he'd finally found what he'd been looking for; A cabinet, containing the ring which had once belonged to Francis Drake. Not only that, a bizarre instrument called an astrolabe, a disc shaped instrument with a hole in the surface, that was decorated in strange patterns and markings.

"So, I was just making notes, you know, like Mom used to," Nathan said excitedly, "and then I saw this guy come walking in, looking all shady. So I started watching him from a distance, and he just wanders up to the display cabinet, really casual, and I notice he's holding something in his hand, and it looks like a key! I was going to go after him when the stupid Museum security threw me out, but then I saw him outside, so I followed him." Nathan looked so proud as he talked, as though he'd been given a medal of honour for his efforts. "Anyway, he ends up in back alley, and he goes up to this guy, and he gets a new key to fit the cabinet lock! And I climbed up the drainpipe, just like you, Sam! And I stayed hidden, and I watched him in secret, and it was so cool!" Sam laughed at his brother as he narrated his adventure. Nathan went on to say how he flew over rooftops and down building signs to follow this guy in order to get his wallet with the key, and that's when he met Victor Sullivan.

"I sneak up, grab the wallet out of his back pocket, and make a dash for it!" Nathan exclaimed. "And just when I thought I got away with it, he snuck up on me and grabbed me! He started lecturing me on my technique, and at first I thought he was just some dumb phoney, but he's the real deal!" Nathan beamed at his brother, who smiled weakly in return. Sam really didn't like the sound of this guy. "Just trust me, Sam!" Nathan continued, sensing his brother's worry. "Victor's a good guy, he looked after me a lot while you were away."

Sam swallowed the guilt that suddenly threatened to consume him, and smiled brilliantly at Nathan. "Hey, if my little brother says to trust him, then I do!" Sam clapped his brother on the shoulder and turned them back the way they came. "Well then, I guess we should go meet this guy, huh?" Sam sighed, smiling gently at his brother. Nathan beamed at him in response, and hurried Sam along to where he was staying with Victor.

When they arrived, Sam greeted Victor cooly, puffing his chest, as if to show he was Nathan's protector. Victor just smiled in response, which instantly irritated Sam. Nathan of course, was oblivious. "Hey, Sully! This is Sam, my brother! Isn't he just like I told you!" Sam's eyes narrowed as Victor laughed loudly and grabbed Sam's hand, shaking it hard. Sam squeezed hard in response, and his eyes narrowed slightly at the gesture.

"Pleasure's all mine, Victor." Sam replied with a false smile. "I hear you've been taking care of my little brother."

"Something like that, sure." Victor chuckled. "Call me Sully, kid, please. I hear you are a bit of a... recovery expert yourself?"

Sam smirked at the older man. "Something like that." He echoed.

"That's interesting." Victor pulled out a cigar, and offered it to Sam. Covering his surprise, Sam accepted the cigar and sat down opposite Sully. "What would you say, if I told you I could get you some work using your recovery expertise? You'd be able to make a decent living out of it, I'd make sure of that."

Sam laughed coldly in reply. "Yeah, I've heard that before, and look where that got me!" he sneered.

"That's because you're dealing with the wrong people," Victor replied harshly, pausing to light Sam's cigar and then his own. "If you get in with those people, you're bound to end up in prison! But if you get in with the right people, you boys can be sorted for life."

Sam was hesitant, but after much persuading from Nathan, he'd finally agreed. Victor began introducing him to his contacts, and the jobs soon came though swift and steady. There were a lot of rich people who were willing to do anything to get what they wanted, Sam found. They weren't easy jobs, but they were more organised than anything Sam had seen before, and he soon found an awkward feeling of gratitude towards Sullivan. He still didn't trust him, but he apprecitated the opportunities he'd been given.

That's how he'd found himself at the Museum today. The old guy they met earlier had called Sully in a panic, and Sully instantly offered it to Sam. He shook his head in disbelief, and glanced up, suddenly aware that Sullivan had stopped.

"You with me, kid?" Sully asked, scrunching his eyebrows at Sam.

"Huh, yeah sure. What were you saying?" Sam rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Sully sighed in annoyance and walked to catch up with Sam.

"I said, we need to think of a new strategy, it's not gonna be so easy now."

Sam's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean strategy?" he asked suspiciously.

"Did you not hear me at all? To get the necklace."

"But I thought we were already getting the necklace, with that girl and the Museum?"

"Come on, kid, think!" Sullivan rolled his eyes in exasperation. "There are other interested people out there, people who would pay a lot more too! You always gotta keep your options open, kid. And stay one step ahead. Always remember that."

Sams eyed Victor suspiciously. He found if very difficult to trust a man who could double-cross people so easily. "I see," he replied, calmly. "And when were you going to tell me you wouldn't be participating in this little pow-wow, huh? What personal business do you have to attend to anyway?"

Victor sighed and began to walk ahead slowly, avoiding Sam's eye as he hurried to follow him. "Listen, Kid." Victor growled softly. "I don't want you to get mad okay?" Sam's footsteps haltered slightly, as Sullivan continued. "There's a pretty urgent situation I've got to take care of. It's to do with your brother."

"Nathan?" Sam asked, shocked. Victor closed his eyes and nodded in regret. "What's happened to him?" Sam's fists began to curl up at his side, as fear and anger began to surge through his body.

"He's fine, he's not hurt!" Victor tried to reassure the elder brother, who glared at him in response. "He just got himself into a bit of trouble, and I've got to go help him out."

"What kind of trouble? What have you gotten him into?" Sam enraged, fear for his brother beginning to rise in his throat.

"He's gotten himself arrested, for theft. It'll be fine!" Victor replied hurriedly, worried that Sam may punch out at him in anger. Not that Victor was worried about being punched. He just didn't want to have to beat the kid up in public. "Listen, Kid. I know people that can help, he'll be out and back with you in no time!" Sam paused for a moment, as he considered what Victor said to him. Seeing this as an opportunity, Sullivan darted to safety as he continued to offer an explanation to Sam. "Trust me, Sam. I'll look after Nathan. In the meantime, you concentrate on the task at hand, and get a hold of that necklace!"

Sam relaxed his position in defeat. He knew what Victor said made sense. As long as somebody was looking after Nathan, that was the important thing. He just hoped that Nathan's new "mentor" would stick to his word, and didn't land Nathan in any more trouble than he was already. Sullivan, sensing the fight was over for now, cleared his throat and carried on plotting his scheme for the necklace.

"Look, I think the best plan of action now is to use that girl." Victor said, turning to face Sam, who had stopped and was scowling again. "She's definitely smart, and will be useful in locating the necklace. She seems like a tough nut to crack, but I think once you do, you'll find she's all warm and gooey inside, so play on that. I'm sure it won't be too much of a challenge for you." Victor smirked. "For now, we're on the same side, but I've been working on a deal with somebody who I think will pay a hell of a lot more for this stupid old necklace. As soon as I have any developments I'll let you know. In the meantime, you keep her sweet and suspicion free, so you have a quick getaway when the time comes."

Sam scowled as Victor continued lead the way, no longer interested in making conversation. Sam found it very difficult to tolerate Sullivan, and he often had to remind himself that Nathan was the reason he did all of this. As he walked, Sam took another cigarette to his lips, trying to distract himself from what lay ahead of him.


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Maggie stood outside the front of the Museum, waiting for her new partner, ten minutes before their agreed time. A strange sensation coursed through her body and pooled in her stomach; nervousness, with just a twinge of excitement. She'd spend the night preparing for the journey ahead of her, reading up on ancient Polynesian texts, trying to find any mention of the necklace they were looking for. There'd not been much luck, but a lot of her research suggested that the best source of information about Polynesian legends were the ancient temples which had been preserved for generations, so Maggie had found out about as many temples as she could, and marked them on her map. If these guys didn't have the intel they had promised, at least it wouldn't be a total loss.

Streams of sunlight broke through the clouds that stretched across the sky, reflecting off the large Museum windows which towered above the steps where Maggie waited. Maggie shielded her eyes as she turned away from the sudden glow, reaching for her sunglasses which sat nested in her hair. As she positioned her sunglasses on her nose, her hair billowed across her face in the gentle breeze, and Maggie pulled her navy green jacket around her, as goosebumps sending a shivering sensation throughout her body. Wearing the same faded jeans and boots Maggie always liked to wear, she perched on the steps as she waited, and gazed absentmindedly at the people hurrying along the busy street which lay in front of her.

A sharp whistle caused Maggie to jump, and she whipped her head around to find the source. Strolling towards her with a smirk on his face, and wearing the same denim jacket as the previous day, was Sam Drake. Maggie took a deep breath as she rose, and made her way down the steps to where Sam stood waiting. He flashed a brilliant smile at Maggie as he removed his own sunglasses, unashamed of the way his eyes inspected her body as he slid his sunglasses into his shirt pocket. Maggie scowled at him from behind her own shades as she approached, annoyance already starting to build up inside her.

"Morning sweetheart!" Sam winked, chuckling at Maggie's obvious displeasure at the nickname.

"You're late." Maggie said sharply as she marched past Sam, who chuckled to himself as he turned to follow her. He had no trouble in keeping up, and easily fell into step beside her.

"Relax, darling. We got time! We should do this properly, get to know each other. What do you say?" Sam teased. Maggie huffed in annoyance, and quickened her pace. Sam let out a loud laugh as he pulled a cigarette to his lips. "Suit yourself." he smirked.

"I'm glad you think this is a joke, but some of us actually take our work seriously. So instead of wasting my time, why don't you stop playing treasure hunter, and let me do my job, got it?"

"Sorry sweetheart, no can do. I gotta eat too you know!" Sam shrugged. "Besides, you know as well as I do that everything's already been arranged by Victor and your boss, so unless you want to tell them why they won't get their necklace, I suggest you swallow that bitter pill that's been rolling around in your mouth since yesterday, and move on."

Maggie curled her fist, and had to use every ounce of her self restraint to stop punching her new colleague. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She'd already promised Mick that she wasn't going to be difficult, and assaulting the guy she was being forced to work with would definitely fall into that category. After disappearing for a few weeks, the last thing Maggie wanted was to get into more trouble. Even if it would have been worth it.

Maggie sighed. "Okay fine, I'll behave. But you've got to behave too, you understand? No more cutesy nicknames, and if you even think of throwing one more inappropriate look at me, I swear the next thing you'll be kissing is the pavement, you got it?"

"Yes, ma'am." Sam smiled, saluting Maggie as though she were his drill sergeant. Maggie's eyes rolled loudly behind her sunglasses, and she continued to lead the way. Silence fell as the two partners continued down the street. A couple of times, Maggie snuck a few glances from the side of her glasses, hoping that Sam wouldn't notice. He appeared none the wiser, and continued to gaze at his surroundings as he walked, a smirk still resting on the corner of his lips. "Where are we going, anyway?" Sam asked after a few more minutes.

"The library," Maggie replied. "My research has narrowed down our starting point to a few locations, but I need to look at some maps to figure out the best place to start looking properly."

"There's no need! I already know where to start." Sam smiled. "We fly to Hilo Airport the day after tomorrow. Sully has sorted us out with a ride, and we'll make our way up into the Mountains. There's a small village nestled near Kilauea; and that's where the we'll be staying. That's where we need to start."

"What makes you so sure?"

"I'm sure." Sam winked as he tapped his nose knowingly.

"Well, whatever. I still want to make sure." Maggie replied bitterly. She hated being made to feel inferior, and whether it was intentional or not, it was how Sam made her feel. Sam held his hands up in easy defeat.

"Hey, you're the boss." Sam chuckled.

The pair continued their walk to the library in a fairly comfortable silence. Maggie was too preoccupied with Sam's lucrative answer to pay close attention to her surroundings; she could walk the route to the library with her eyes closed and there were much more important things to focus on. Who was Sam Drake? He looked like the kind of guy you'd expect to see at a prison line up, yet underneath his scruffy layers of "bad boy" charm, there was clearly a deep intelligence. He seemed very clued up on the task at hand which was good, but Maggie was still suspicious of where and how Sam obtained his knowledge. Not to mention the nagging feeling that Maggie had seen Sam before. He was definitely good looking, so if he'd been to the Museum before, Maggie would have remembered him. But while Sam looked familiar, she didn't _recognise_ him. Maggie didn't socialise much either, so she wouldn't have met him on a night out. Apart from her old flatmate Tom, Maggie didn't really have friends, and she preferred to work late at the Museum than go out with her work colleagues.

Sam, meanwhile, was lost in his own thoughts. He was trying to analyse Maggie, to understand how she worked. She was clearly intelligent and determined, he thought, but her suspicious, almost hostile demeanour suggested that she'd not always had things so good. She wasn't fooled by the things people said, and she liked to keep her cards close to her chest, especially when it came to her work. She was extremely protective of that, which certainly made her more attractive in Sam's eyes. Sam thought about Sully's plan, and how he wanted Sam to make Maggie "warm and gooey". His catholic upbringing came back to haunt him as he considered the prospect of using somebody to gain the advantage. If it were somebody like Sullivan, Sam didn't consider it much of an issue, but to do it to a stranger, a girl he barely knew, just felt wrong. Still, Sam had to do as he'd been instructed, for Nathan's sake. As much as he disliked Sully, he did look out for Nate, and Sam didn't want to jeapordise that.

Maggie and Sam soon arrived at the library, and Maggie greeted the librarian with a warm smile. After reluctantly introducing Sam as her "apprentice" ("Partner" winked Sam) Maggie explained what she was looking for, and the librarian led them to the geography section. There was an old book here, full of old maps, and how the world population had changed over thousands of years. As Hawaii was essentially a cluster of volcanoes, its inhabitants had migrated a lot throughout the millenia, and Maggie wanted to compare the different maps to the Polynesian texts she'd discovered in her research. Then, she'd be able to translate the geographical locations from when the necklace was last seen 1000 years ago, and pinpoint where they would have to go.

Maggie poured over the maps and text as she worked, whilst Sam relaxed on a chair beside her. Eventually, Maggie stopped her frantic note taking, and began to pack her things away.

"All done?" Sam asked, a small smile forming on his lips. Maggie focused on the book she was carrying as she nodded silently in reply. "And?" Sam quizzed, knowing exactly what response he would receive.

"And it looks like your plan wasn't completely stupid, after all." Maggie replied sarcastically. Sam chuckled lightly as he stood, and began to help tidy the workspace.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." he laughed.

"You should," Maggie replied, "It's the only one you're going to get."


	10. Chapter 10

Maggie and Sam flew to Hawaii two days later. They'd agreed to meet at the airport at 7am; Sam had offered to pick Maggie up from her apartment but she'd refused, for no reason other than her pride. Maggie took only a small travel bag with her; She'd only packed a few changes of clothes and toiletries, the rest of the space was taken up with books and research. Her taxi dropped her off at the airport almost an hour earlier than she needed, and she waited for Sam at the departures lounge, anxiously checking her watch every five minutes. She hated being late, and as the time dragged on, she wondered if Sam had decided not to come. Eventually she saw him walking towards her; his tall build made him quite easy to spot over the crowds of people bustling through the airport. He carried a duffel bag over his shoulder, and was wearing the same denim jacket over a brown t-shirt and black cargo pants. His face broke into a wide smile as he reached Maggie, and dropped his bag on the floor.

"Morning, Partner," he grinned, "You ready?"

"Of course I am, I've been here for ages." Maggie stood, appraising Sam's outfit with her eyes. "Seriously, don't you own another jacket?"

"What's wrong with my jacket?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Well nothing," Maggie said, "But it looks as though it could walk onto the airplane itself! Has it ever even been washed?"

"Hey, this jacket and I have been through alot!" Sam huffed in defence, before leaning in to whisper in Maggie's ear, "Besides, if you really want to see what's under it, all you gotta do is ask." Maggie's cheeks flooded with colour as she gasped and stuttered over her refusal. Failing to speak coherently, she pushed Sam away swiftly, who merely laughed as he bent down to retrieve his bag, and remove Maggie's bag from her shoulder to his in one swift movement. "Come on. They've not even called our flight yet" he smirked.

The airplane itself was very small in comparison to some of the others on the runway; Maggie loved to watch them take off while she waited, it made the adventure feel real. Sam was leaving her alone for once, he was sat with the bags, reading a book and taking notes. Every now and then, Maggie would sneak a look at him, curious as to what he doing. She didn't want to appear interested, so she remained facing the window, but would check his reflection every few minutes to see if anything about him had changed.

Sam had noticed, of course, and while he kept his position the same, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he ducked his head to make notes. Maybe he could make her warm and gooey, after all. He secretly relished at the thought, his ego puffing in his chest as he daydreamed. "Still," he thought as he climbed down from his clouds, "I better hope everything goes smoothly. If the plan changes and I have to drop her, I gotta make sure she can't find me again. She'll be sure to kick my ass if she does. That girl does not like to be messed with." Sam wondered again if she was the girl he saw at the funeral. He really hoped she wasn't, but he knew what losing a family member could do to a person; he himself was extremely protective of his younger brother, and Maggie behaved the same about her work. If she was doing it for her Grandmother, that made sense. "I'll have to see if I can find out somehow." He grimaced to himself.

An announcement that their flight was now boarding interrupted the pair's thoughts, and they made their way quietly to the relevant gate. The plane was ivery/i small on the inside, and the long flight was not going to be a comfortable one, Maggie thought as they made their way to their seats. Sullivan had arranged all the travel plans, and Maggie was not looking forward to seeing her accommodation. She found their seats and instantly claimed the one nearest the window, giving her something to look at other than Sam. He was more than happy to take the aisle seat, for the leg room he said, but Maggie couldn't help but feel like he was leaning over her side on purpose. As the safety instructions were explained, Maggie noticed the air hostess nearest to them kept making eye contact with Sam, who returned the favour with a wink and his crooked grin. Maggie scoffed and shook her head, preffering to turn her back to them as much as possible, and read the instruction pamphlet that was slotted into her allocated magazine pocket than watch the god awful attempt at flirting that was going on beside her.

Still, Maggie managed to catch a few hours of sleep during the flight; at one point, to her utter horror, Maggie woke to find she'd in fact been using Sam as a pillow. He in turn was asleep and snoring gently, but as she gently repositioned herself he stirred ever so slightly. Maggie watched him carefully to make sure he didn't wake, and found her gaze drawn to Sam's lips. They were curled up slightly into _that_ crooked grin, and Maggie was surprised to find that when he wasn't talking, she really found him quite attractive. In fact, Maggie thought to herself, watching him take notes and how enthralled he was in his work, made him even more appealing to her. The thought surprised her greatly; she'd never been much interested in having a love life, and she certainly didn't like to mix work with pleasure. Shaking her head as if to banish such thoughts from her mind, Maggie moved to lean against the window of the plane, and tried not to imagine how much pleasure Sam could give her as she drifted back off into an uncomfortable sleep.

They arrived at Hilo airport in the late afternoon, and managed to pick up their ride just as the rentals store was trying to close. A few quiet words from Sam (along with a discreet cash exchange, Maggie noticed) and they were soon dumping their bags in the bag of a very old and rusty looking jeep and where heading south towards Kilauea. After about 30 miles, they got towards the base of the great volcano and their route turned northwest, and began a steady climb. Sam navigated the jeep easily around the mountainous terrain, and Maggie, despite her heavy eyelids, was enthralled by the seemingly sparse landscape. After about half an hour following the road around the slopes, they turned east slightly down a very rocky road which lead the way back down. It was beginning to get dark out, and the long, cramped flight was beginning to catch up with Maggie, who stifled a yawn in the passenger seat.

"How far away are we?" She asked sleepily.

"Not far now." Sam promised. Sure enough, after a few more miles of heading steadily down, the surface began to level out again, and they were surprised to find lush plants sprouting out of the barren ground. As they rounded one final, sharp bend they were suddenly greeted by the lights of a small village, nestled in the mountainside. The small motel they were staying in was just on the far edge of the town, and looked out over a small river which wound down from the volcano, and steam gradually rose from the flowing water.

"It gets heated up from the lava underneath." Sam explained to Maggie when she stopped unloading the bags from the Jeep to watch. "This place is apparently famous for their natural hot spring baths, so I've heard. The water is some of the purest water you could have". As they checked into their room, Maggie was barely able to keep her eyes open, but she vaguely heard the lady behind the desk inform Sam that they were staying in Room 17 on the third floor.

"I'm sorry, shouldn't it be room _s_?" Maggie asked.

"Not according to the booking information I've got here, Miss." The lady replied apologetically. Maggie turned to Sam, raising her eyebrow for an explanation. Sam simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Don't look at me, Sully sorted all of this out." He replied. "Anyway, it's too late to do anything about it now. You're beat and we got a lot of work to do tomorrow. Let's just deal with it, alright?"

Maggie didn't even argue, she _was_ too tired to deal with this now. Thanking the receptionist, she turned to follow Sam up the large wooden stairs to their room. As soon as the door was closed, Maggie dropped her things on the floor, stripped off down to her vest top and her knickers, and crawled under the sheets of the reasonably sized bed to claim her spot. She wanted to insist that Sam sleep on the floor, but she was too exhausted to even begin that argument, so simply muttered "I sleep under sheets, you sleep on top of sheets..." as her eyelids fluttered closed and she quickly drifted into a long and comfortable sleep.

Sam smiled to himself as he undressed, thankful that Maggie didn't put up more of a fight about the sleeping arrangements. It was part of his and Sully's plan, to make it easier to get close to her, but if he was being honest with himself, he was more interested in a good night's sleep than anything else at the moment. Tomorrow would be a different matter entirely, and that was when the real challenge would begin. Obliging with his partner's demand, Sam lay on top of the bed sheets and sighed in happiness as he relaxed into the large, comfortable pillows. He turned to look at Maggie, who looked very peaceful and charming now that her eyes weren't glaring up at him. Her long eyelashes swept across her cheeks, and her plump lips were hanging ever so slightly open, allowing soft whimpers to escape occasionally as she slept. Sam was enthralled for a moment, his eyes glistening as he settled down for the night. Stealing one last look at Maggie, Sam tucked his left arm under his head and closed his eyes, already looking forward to the dreams that would no doubt come thanks to the sleeping beauty next to him, and the thrill of adventure which was soon to follow.


	11. Chapter 11

Maggie woke with a start the next morning, confused as to why she couldn't move. She looked down and as she tried to focus her sleep-filled eyes, she saw a great, muscular arm draped across her waist and trapping her. As she slowly started to become aware of her surroundings, she heard a soft snore behind her, and realised that the noise and the arm trapping her were from the same person. Suddenly remembering where she was, and more importantly who she was with, Maggie jumped up with surprising force, throwing Sam's arm as far away from her as she could. Sam woke with a yelp as he found himself flung off the edge of the bed and in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"Ow!" he yelled, groaning as he picked himself up. "The hell was that for?"

"I had no choice, you were trapping me!" Maggie replied angrily as she through her covers off. "Keep your hands to yourself from now on, got it?!"

"Hey honey, I was asleep, alright? It wasn't exactly on purpose." Sam said with a wince, rubbing the lump that had formed on the back of his head. He groaned loudly as he sat down on the bed, while Maggie glared at him, her face flushed in embarrassment. Sam looked at her tall slender figure, wearing nothing but a thin shirt and underwear, and laughed brazenly. "Hey relax! We could have woken up in much worse positions" he winked. Maggie instantly tried to cover her modesty as she turned on her heel in disgust and marched into the tiny motel bathroom with her bag. She slammed the door shut, and Sam heard the lock sliding into place with as much force as it allowed. Sam chuckled to himself. "That girl is a serious piece of work," he thought as he began to pull his own clothes on.

Maggie stood leaning against the wall, close to hyperventilating. She couldn't decide if she was more mortified that she literally threw Sam out of the bed in shock, or that he then saw her wearing next to nothing and was obviously aroused by the situation. "Get yourself together Maggie," she thought angrily to herself, "It's just a job! This never happens to you!" It was true. If there was one thing Maggie was sure of, it was that she would never be phased by a job. She made sure she was prepared for anything that could happen. But the last thing she expected was to have to deal with someone like Sam Drake. Being the recluse that she was, meant she had very little experience with the opposite sex. She'd had boyfriends before, of course, but they'd always been shy, awkward Museum nerds, that she usually got bored with after just a few short weeks. She'd never met a man like Sam Drake before; so confident and sure of himself, intelligent, good looking and certainly not afraid to show his...eagerness. Maggie groaned as she buried her head in her hands, and desperately tried to forget the past few moments. She'd definitely overreacted when she'd woken up; Sam couldn't control what he did in his sleep after all. She'd have to apologise to him, if they were going to move on with the job in peace. The thought made Maggie groan again. "I've never had this much trouble before a job's even started before!" Maggie grumbled to herself.

Maggie emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, fully dressed in a cargo green shirt with a faded logo clinging to her slender frame, and her favourite pants for hiking; black and snug, but made from a strong elasticated fabric so they couldn't tear easily, and full of pockets. Her hair was swept up in her preferred messy bun style, save for a few strands which were too short to be tied back. She was silent as she walked past Sam, who was stood leaning against the small window with a cigarette hanging out his mouth, but the deep blush in her cheeks said enough. She kept her back towards Sam as much as possible as she tidied up the bedsheets that she'd cast aside in anger, and when she had nothing else to distract her, she took a deep breath and turned to face him. Maggie kept her eyes down as she coughed awkwardly.

"Look, Sam, I'm sorry for what happened before, I- I know it wasn't your fault." She breathed hurriedly. "I shouldn't have reacted the way that I did. Can we just forget it happened and move on?"

Sam said nothing, but closed his eyes as he took one long, last drag of his cigarette before flicking it outside and pulling the window to. He turned towards the door and began walking, but at the last moment he turned and grabbed Maggie's arm, spinning her round gently to face him. He took one step towards her as he tentatively tucked his hand under her chin and lifted her gaze to meet his. Maggie's heart was pounding as he stared intently into her eyes, his own sparkling with mischief, and she felt the rush of colour fill her cheeks again. Suddenly, Sam cracked his usual dazzling grin and said, "I don't know what you're talking about, sweetheart. Sorry for what?" Then he was gone; back to opening the door where he stood, waiting for Maggie to collect her thoughts and her rucksack, ready for their journey ahead.

According to Sam's sources, the nearest temple to their location lay up in the mountainous landscape, approximately three hours away from their motel. Sam left Maggie loading the jeep whilst he checked their route with the lady that had greeted them the night before. As Maggie finished packing the last of their things and hoisted herself into the passenger seat, Sam returned with a smirk resting on his lips as he whistled an overly cheery tune. Maggie pulled her sunglasses down to avoid looking at him, still embarrassed by the morning's events.

"Okay, so I know which is the most direct route to get to the temple," Sam said as he climbed into the driver's seat next to her, "but the road has been destroyed by the volcano. So we can either take the longer route which is easier but will take us an extra couple of hours, or we can take the most direct route, but we'll have to walk part of the way. What do you say?" "Let's go the direct route" Maggie replied after a moment, "I'm not afraid of a challenge, and I'm keen to see if your sources prove worthy." Sam nodded with a cocky smile and started the engine. As he began the drive, Maggie rummaged through her rucksack for her notebook. She always liked to document each part of her journey, in case she ever needed it, but right now she was using it as an excuse not to talk to Sam.

The car was mostly silent as they drove to the temple, save for the occasional moment when Sam would point something out to Maggie as they drove. The day was already heating up, despite the sun only being risen for a few hours. Maggie wiped her brow as small beads of sweat started to form, and removed her jacket in a hopeless attempt to cool herself down. The route to the temple was quite easy to begin with. It followed the natural path of the mountain; steadily rising and twisting occasionally. They passed a few old buildings as they drove, some still fairly intact, and others completely destroyed by the natural disasters that had hit the island over the years, but as they began to climb higher, the buildings became very few and far between. They drove past one, and Maggie noticed two make-shift graves sticking out of the ground. She asked Sam to pull over, and hopped out to examine them more closely. Maggie checked her notebook was still in her jean pocket, as she made her way carefully to the graves. As she got closer, she noticed a stone on each grave, carefully painted with a symbol Maggie had never seen before, and a wooden marker which lay in between them, decorated with the same symbol in each corner, and strange letters etched into the surface. Maggie sat cross-legged as she pulled her notebook out and began to sketch the scene at her feet, when she heard Sam come walking up behind her.

"This is a mother and child," Sam said as he stopped beside her. "The marker calls on the family's Aumakua to help protect them in the afterlife."

"How do you know that?" Maggie's question was almost accusing as she looked up at Sam, her sunglasses protecting her from the glare of the sun.

"Because it's here," Sam replied, crouching beside her as he pulled a tattered looking book from his own jacket pocket. He flicked through the pages until he found the right one, and passed it to Maggie to read. It was full of strange Polynesian symbols and marks, along with a translation and brief explanation of what each one meant. Maggie flicked through the pages, copying the symbols that were scratched into the wood, and their meaning into her own notebook. Sam continued, "The people that used to live on this island were nomadic, mainly because they had to be. The volcano was a lot more active a long time ago, and so the people used to have to relocate to where it was safe. Looks as though this family weren't so lucky. Families would call upon their Aumakua, their family God, to protect and guide their loved ones into the afterlife. Each God's representation was unique to its family, but they were mostly appeared as animals. Here look." Sam grasped the book from Maggie's hands, and pointed to one symbol in particular. Maggie studied the picture, and realised it was exactly the same as the one on the stones.

"Mo'o. Meaning Dragon." Maggie read quietly. She quickly scribbled some notes next to her own, pale comparison of the strange symbol, and handed the book back to Sam. "Where did you get that book?" She asked, suddenly curious.

"Oh, it was my mom's," Sam said, offering his hand to Maggie as he stood. "She gave it to me before she died."

"O-Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Sam." Maggie's voice came out slightly raised, as she attempted to hide the surprise in her voice. She didn't expect Sam's interest in History to run so deep, she'd just assumed he was in it for the money. Maybe they were more similar than she thought.

Sam shrugged his shoulders as he pulled her gently to her feet, and smiled weakly. "Hey, don't worry about it. It was a long time ago." He turned away as he spoke, not quite meeting Maggie's eye.

Maggie didn't know what to say. She turned to look at the graves one last time as she stashed her notebook back in her pocket, and then sighed as she turned back to the jeep. "Shall we?" She asked awkwardly.

"Ladies first." Sam smiled as he gestured to the car. The pair continued on with their journey as the day grew hotter, and after a couple of hours, the track they were following began to show large cracks in the surface. They became bigger, and more frequent, as they carried on, and Sam had to slow the jeep right down to keep them from getting stuck. "I think we're going to have to start walking soon." Sam muttered anxiously, rubbing the sweat out of his eyes as he tried to steer them safely. Sure enough, just as he spoke, the path ahead of them disappeared completely, and Sam had to brake suddenly to stop them from driving straight off the edge. Maggie was flung forward and cried out, her seatbelt digging into her neck as it stopped her from flying into the windscreen. She groaned as she was thrown back into her seat, catching her ear on the hard, uncomfortable headrest and sending a throbbing pain through her head. Beside her, Sam was also rubbing his forehead and groaning. "Jesus!" He complained, "That's two head injuries in one day!"

"Hey," Maggie groaned in protest, gathering her notebook and a few essential bottles of water into her rucksack. "I thought we'd agreed that this morning never happened?"

"Shit, sorry," Sam laughed, "Anyway, let's go. We've got a long walk to do yet." Maggie's eye's narrowed as she climbed out of the jeep, and slung her rucksack onto her shoulders. Sam walked around from the driver's side to meet her and pulled out a map, resting it on the bonnet. "Okay, so we're here, and we need to get to roughly here." He said, pointing to the hand drawn marker on the map. "According to the woman at the motel, this crack is approximately 20 miles long, and 5 miles across. She said some parts are more narrow than others, and you can get across it, but it can be really dangerous."

"You failed to mention this when you were telling me this morning." Maggie huffed in annoyance.

Sam laughed. "Well, you can always take the jeep and go the long way round, if you'd like? I'll wait for you at the temple."

"Absolutely not," Maggie snapped, snatching the map off the bonnet and stuffing it into her backpack. "I'm not leaving you alone for one second while we're here."

"Is that a promise?" Sam's eyes gleamed with mischief, and he chuckled to himself as Maggie marched ahead of him. They left the jeep and began the long, slow climb East. As the sun reached its peak in the sky, Maggie and Sam walked along the treacherous edge of the crack, looking for anything that could help them across. At one point, Maggie caught her foot on a loose rock and stumbled; she cried out as Sam wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards his chest as they both fell back. They landed with a thud on the volcanic surface, and Maggie caught the back of her head on Sam's shoulder.

"Jesus!" She groaned, laying her arm over her face to block the sun from her eyes, and realised her sunglasses had gone flying when they fell. "Ah, crap!" she muttered to herself. Maggie sat up and looked around, hoping they hadn't gone flying in the wrong direction.

"Did you lose something?" Sam asked from behind her, smiling as he held Maggie's sunglasses up to her.

"You got them!" Maggie beamed as he passed them back, "Thanks, Sam... I'd be lost without these!" Maggie cleaned the lenses on her shirt, then slid them back into position. Sam grinned as he stood, and offered his hand to Maggie. She accepted, secretly thankful that her large, aviator lenses helped conceal the blush that seemed to appear whenever he touched her. She was trying to avoid contact with him as much as possible so he wouldn't notice, but she couldn't exactly reject his kindness right after he saved her.

They walked another five miles before Sam caught Maggie's attention. "Hey, Maggie, look!" he called, leaning over the edge carefully and pointed down into the vast tear in the rock. Maggie tentatively stepped closer to the edge, and turned to where Sam was pointing. A few feet below them, tucked into the wall of the crack, was a naturally carved ledge, large enough to hold both of them comfortably. "Maybe we can get down there, and see if there's a way over to the other side." Sam suggested.

"Okay but first, I need a drink." Maggie slipped her rucksack from her shoulders, and removed two bottles of water. She handed one to Sam, who raised his eyebrows in surprise as he thanked her and accepted the offering. They both took long swigs of water, Sam pausing for a moment to catch his breath, casting his eyes over to Maggie, who was still gulping her own water furiously. Sam couldn't help but stare as she drank, watching the movements of her throat as she swallowed, and how her chest heaved in perfect time. His eyes followed the line of her neck, down to the delicate curve of her shoulders, and the taught fabric which subtly accentuated her breasts, and gulped. He could imagine running his fingers along her skin as he lifted the shirt over her head, revealing the tenderness underneath as Maggie moaned at his touch, and he almost choked as his illicit thoughts threatened to expose themselves.

Sam quickly turned away, trying to clear his head of all thoughts as he slipped his bottle into his own rucksack. Once he was sure it was safe again, he turned back to face Maggie and moved to sit on the edge of the rock. Once seated comfortably, he looked down to try and figure out the easiest way to the ledge. He glanced up at Maggie, who'd moved to stand beside him, and smiled. "You ready?" Maggie simply nodded in reply. Sam shifted his position so he was facing the edge of the rock, as he carefully lifted himself over the edge. Using the natural protrusions in the rock to place his hands and feet, Sam made his way down a few feet, before calling up to Maggie, "Okay, it seems to be pretty solid! Start climbing down!"

Maggie gently lowered herself down, moving nimbly down the same path as Sam, down a few feet and then to the right and down again, where the foot holdings were slightly wider. The ledge was further away than Maggie had originally thought, and her arm muscles began to burn with the tension of keeping her entire body weight upright and moving. Eventually they made it down to the ledge; Sam landed first and watched Maggie intently as she easily climbed her way down to land beside him. As her feet found the floor, Maggie looked up at her efforts and her face broke into a wide, dazzling grin, which stunned Sam into silence for a moment, before taking a well deserved drink of water and examining the way across. The other side of the crack looked a lot further away once you were sat inside it. Maggie swallowed nervously and looked at Sam.

"Are you sure we can get across this thing?" She asked with obvious uncertainty.

"Of course we can, don't worry about it." Sam replied with false confidence. He looked around, and noticed a large, jagged chockstone, sticking out of a downward crack on the far side. It had obviously fallen and was wedged into the rockface on the other side. The chockstone was fairly narrow, with a pointed end, and looked about 2 meters in length to Sam's eye. It was sticking out approximately 10 foot above them, high enough to be able to rope it easily enough from where they were. Sam grinned in relief. He pulled his trusted rope out of his bag, and made a loop in one end, which he hoped would be big enough to sit comfortably on his target and hold his weight. Standing precariously close to the edge, Sam began swinging the rope around, hoping to gather enough momentum to carry it the distance. Once he was satisfied the rope would reach, Sam flung his arm with all his might, releasing the rope and letting it fly across the vast, gaping hole in the surface to land on the chockstone neatly. Sam huffed in disbelief at his own actions, then turned to Maggie and smirked. "See, what'd I tell ya? Piece of cake."

Maggie rolled her eyes and smirked back at him. "Great, now all you gotta do is jump." She gestured for Sam to proceed, who could suddenly hear his heart thumping in his ears. Sam took a deep breath and grasped the rope with all the strength and courage he could muster.

"Well, here goes nothin'" he muttered to himself. Sam walked forwards, and his heart seemed to jump out of his chest as the floor disappeared beneath him and he swung across the enormous crack to the other side. The wind whipped through his hair and burned his eyes as he soared, and he yelled out in delight as felt the rope pull. Sam brought his knees up to his chest as he prepared for the impact, and he used his feet to stop him from crashing into the rockface, clinging to the rope with all his might. He waited a few moments until the rope had stopped swinging him around manically, and he was able use it to climb up the other side. Once he reached the chockstone that he'd used to hook the rope, he heaved himself up onto the large protruding piece of rock in order to examine the route above him. "Okay, I can see a way up!" he called across to Maggie, who was stood on the opposite side with bated breath. "You gonna be okay?!"

Maggie swallowed nervously. "I'll be fine!" she shouted back, hoping Sam couldn't hear the cracks in her confident tone. She waited for Sam to untie his rope and continue with his own climb, before Maggie pulled her own rope out of her bag and followed Sam's lead. It took a couple of attempts for Maggie to hook her own rope onto the chockstone, and once she succeeded, Maggie took a long, deep breath before taking the plunge and jumping off the ledge. As she flew through the air, Maggie let out a brief scream before remembering she had to brace for impact, and forcing her eyes open against the burning wind. Maggie copied Sam, pulling her knees up to her chest as she approached the far side, but she didn't land quite as smoothly as him, catching her shoulder on the rockface after her feet took the full impact. The shock of the hit caused Maggie to lose her hold slightly, and she felt the rope slipping through her hands. She desperately tightened her grip, and felt the rope burning her fingers as she stopped herself. Maggie began to climb without hesitation, not wanting to stop until she was able to place her feet back on solid ground. When she finally reached the chockstone, Maggie heaved herself up until she had a leg straddling either side, and used the opportunity to catch her breath and allow her heart rate return to a more normal speed.

"You okay?" Sam called to her from above.

"I'm good, just catching my breath." Maggie sighed as she pulled herself to her feet, and turned to face the rock above her. Maggie made her way back up the other side in good time, using the natural rock handles to pull herself up back up to the surface. As she neared the top, she heard Sam above her, and looked up to see him extending his hand for hers.

"Here, I got you." He reached down and grasped Maggie's arm, heaving her over the edge. They both sat for a moment, taking in the scenery and admiring their own efforts. Maggie had another sip of her water and gasped in relief as she felt the cool liquid running down her throat. She closed her eyes and smiled contently to herself; this was one her favourite things about exploring, entering into the unknown and being able to achieve things she never thought possible.

A sudden, uncomfortable thought broke Maggie's reverie, and she sat up, casting her eyes back to where they had come from. "Hey, Sam?" she called.

"Hmm?" he responded lazily beside her, enjoying the Sun beating down on him as he recuperated.

"What are we gonna do about the jeep? We've just kind of left it there."

Sam chuckled and opened one eye to look at Maggie. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

Maggie pulled the map out of her bag, to see how far they were from their destination. "We should get going," she said, getting to her feet as she stuffed the map away. "We're not too far away now." Sam obliged, and together they continued the journey on foot, slowly making their way back down the slope until they were more or less following the same path they'd been on before they were forced to abandon the jeep. After walking for another hour or so, Maggie noticed the ground was steadily rising again, and as she glanced up, she saw what looked like natural stairs making their way up to an old, decrepit looking building, nestled away within the rocks. "Sam, look!" Maggie squealed in delight, and began to run towards the stone steps. "We've found it!"


	12. Chapter 12

Maggie and Sam stood at the bottom of the rocky staircase, and gazed up in wonder at the temple, which looked as though it sat among the clouds above them. It was a lot higher than they'd originally thought, and they had to block the sun out of their eyes as they looked up. Maggie smiled, as she prepared herself for the long climb ahead of her, and began bounding up the steps. "Hey, wait up!" Sam called out in surprise as he ran after her, but it wasn't long before he was able to catch up. The stairs, which started as a slow, steady climb, rapidly became taller and steeper, and Maggie soon found it difficult to even walk up the large, stone stairs without needing to hook her feet on the rocky grooves and pull herself up. When they were about a third of the way, Maggie's muscles were screaming for her to stop, and she knew she couldn't carry on without a break. She rolled onto her back and lay with her eyes closed, her skin gleaming with sweat as she waited for her muscles to stop burning quite so much. She heard Sam groaning as he climbed up behind her, which soon became a groan of relief when he saw her resting.

"Oh, thank God!" He gasped, and used the last of his strength to crawl painstakingly slowly, away from the edge. He sat against the face of the next rocky step, or ledge as they were swiftly becoming, and sighed in relief. "Ahhh... How about we just stay here a little while?"

"Mhmmm." Maggie sighed in agreement, retrieving her water for a well needed drink. They sat for a while, protected from the sun by the shade offered from the steps towering above them, and revelling in the view that lay before them. They could see for miles across the mountainous landscape, and Maggie noticed the town in which they were staying, looking like a model village as it sat miles below them. "It's a pretty amazing view, isn't it?" Maggie commented after a while. "Although it's been ages since I've had to climb anything like this."

"It's amazing. Where else have you been?" Sam replied with interest.

"I've climbed the Himalayas once," Maggie replied, "that was unbelievable, but way too cold for my liking. And I've been to Borneo, which was unreal. I was trying to find the Cintamani Stone, but the trail went cold, so Mick called me home."

"The what?"

"The Cintamani Stone. It's supposed to contain the key to being invincible." Maggie explained lazily.

"Huh. I wouldn't say no to that." Sam smirked, "It would definitely make getting to that temple easier."

Maggie croaked out a laugh. "Yeah, speaking of, we're not going to get anywhere if we stay sitting here. Come on, let's get going."

Groaning, Maggie and Sam both got to their feet, and continued their long, exhausting climb to the temple above them. After what felt like an age, they finally saw the top of the ancient temple towering above them, and the natural stairs began to level out again into a rocky path. Despite the fact that her legs were like jelly, and every cell in her body was aching, the anticipation kept Maggie moving forward, and they soon found themselves staring up at a great archway, looming over them. The vast stone wall, which encompassed the archway, stood at least three storeys high, and was adorned with perfectly cylindrical pillars and strange faces carved into the stone. Beyond that, the temple rose another two levels, which were both in equal measure to the first, and a large domed statue, carved in the shape of a strange looking animal dominated the very top. The entire temple was covered in moss, and weathered from thousands of years against the elements. It truly was a breathtaking sight.

"Whew, this is some joint," Sam whistled in appreciation. "Shall we take a look inside?"

"Hang on a sec," Maggie mumbled, "I'm almost done." Sam turned to see Maggie sketching away furiously in her notebook, and smiled.

"Don't rush yourself." he murmured as he wandered closer to the temple.

When Maggie was done, she tucked her notebook safely back into her pocket, and was almost giddy with excitement as she headed towards Sam. She spotted him by the temple, wearing an equally excited smile as he waited for her under the archway. She almost skipped over to him, and when she reached the grand entrance, she was met with... more stone stairs.

"Oh come on!" she yelled in complaint. "Are they being serious?! What is it with these ancient civilizations?! Haven't we climbed enough shitty stairs?!"

Sam burst out laughing in surprise at Maggie's mini tantrum. "Come on, we're so close!" he smiled, I'll race ya!" With that, he took off, running up the stairs and laughing loudly as Maggie darted after him. "Hey, glad you could make it!" Sam grinned when she caught up. Maggie shoved him in return but laughed; although she hated to admit it, she was actually enjoying his company on this trip. Maybe Sam Drake wasn't so bad, after all.

It didn't take long for them to reach the top, and when they did, they were greeted by a great, empty hall, stretching into near-darkness across several kilometers. Hundreds of pillars ran the entire length of the hall, supporting the massive structure above them, and in the very centre of the poorly lit room, Maggie made out what appeared to be a large stone altar, guarded by around twenty smaller pillars. Mesmerised, Maggie and Sam walked towards the middle, and as they got closer, Maggie noticed that the pillars surrounding the altar had distinct, menacing-looking faces carved into them.

"These must be their Gods." Maggie guessed, as she stopped to examine one of the faces closely.

"I'd say so," Sam replied, his fingers tracing the lines of another face carefully. He looked over to Maggie, who was copying him unintentionally, and he couldn't help his smile.

"Hey Sam, look," Maggie said as she moved her focus to the altar in the centre. "There's some more writing here."

Sam moved to stand by Maggie, who was now crouching next to the altar with a torch, highlighting the strange markings as she copied them into her notebook. "Huh," Sam said, retrieving his own torch, as well as the book of Polynesian symbols, and flicking through the pages, "I think it's talking about some kind of ritual, or religious ceremony. This symbol means "Fortress" and this one means "Light". Sam said, pointing to the symbols Maggie had just transcribed.

"Well, well, well!" An unfamiliar, male voice made Maggie and Sam jump up suddenly, dropping their torches and peering anxiously into the darkened room. "I'm impressed with your knowledge." As they tried to strain their eyes for a better view in the hazy light, the tall, unknown silhouette of a man was moving slowly towards them, his face hidden in the shadow. The figure stopped a few feet away from them, leaning against one of the pillars, and Maggie carefully inched closer to try and see who had interrupted them. Sam tried to grab her arm, but Maggie moved to avoid him, the hairs on her neck standing on edge in alert for any potential danger.

"Uh, Hi. I'm Maggie" Maggie greeted the stranger cautiously. "And you are?"

"Forgive me," The stranger smiled briefly as he moved towards Maggie, his hand extended. "I'm Hanale. I'm head of security here."

"Security?" Sam's eyes narrowed as he quizzed the interloper. "Why does a temple need security?"

"My elder brother is the benefactor of this temple. He assigned me to protect it from thieves and grave robbers." Hanale raised his eyebrow as he considered the pair before him. "Which leads me to my next question; Why are you two sneaking around in here?"

"I'm a journalist," Maggie lied hurriedly, casting a warning glare at Sam as she spoke. "I work for the National Geographic Magazine. This is my assistant, Samuel." Sam didn't smile as he moved to shake the man's hand gruffly, and they stood for what seemed like an age, grasping each other's arms and eyeing each other up with intimidating glares. Maggie huffed in impatience, and almost pushed Sam's arm away as she moved to stand in front of him, hoping to draw the stranger's attention back to her. "Say, as head of security, you must have loads of knowledge on this place!" Maggie gushed falsely, thinking on her feet for a way to get rid of this intrusion. "Would you mind terribly if I were to ask you some questions?" Maggie's heart was pounding, afraid that the man would see through her futile attempts of flattery.

Hanale, however, seemed completely oblivious. "Of course!" He beamed widely, "I can tell you anything you'd like to know."

"Oh, that's fantastic!" Maggie grinned widely, grateful that the poor light was able to hide the shock which was written all over her face. "Why don't we go outside, it'll be easier for me to take notes." Hanale nodded, and instantly offered his arm to Maggie, who accepted with a weak attempt of a flirtatious smile. Before they left, Maggie turned back to Sam. "Hey, why don't you finish up here, while Hanale helps me with my questions outside." Sam went to object, but Maggie flashed another warning in her eyes, and subtly nodded to the altar behind him. Knowing it wouldn't do him any good to argue, Sam nodded in defeat.

"Sure no problem." he replied, a bitter taste filling his mouth.

Maggie turned briskly, almost dragging her new escort as far away from Sam and the altar as possible. She absolutely did not trust this man, but his sudden eagerness to share information had Maggie curious, and as cautious as she was, if there was a chance she could obtain any sort of clue as to where the necklace may be, Maggie was willing to take risks. Hanale was already chatting away quite happily, explaining the history of the island (something Maggie already knew quite well) as though he had rehearsed it a thousand times. Maggie gushed her "ooh"s and "ahh"s at the right moments, clutching on Hanale's arm and noticing the light beginning to sweep over them, as they headed closer to the outside; She only hoped she looked anywhere near as excited and flirtatious on her face as she sounded.

Now that she was able to see him more clearly, Maggie studied Hanale's face intently. He was surprisingly young looking, Maggie thought, only around nineteen or twenty. No wonder he was so clueless to her false enthusiasm. He had a sweeping mess of brown hair, sticking up in all directions, and his amber eyes glowed against his tanned skin. As Maggie considered him, she smiled. While he was fairly tall and clearly worked out, he still looked quite skinny, like he'd not long been hitting the gym. Maggie was pretty sure she could take him if she needed to, although she hoped it wouldn't come to that. Hanale led them back to the top of the stairs and down; Maggie was sad to be leaving the temple so soon, especially after the trouble she'd taken to get there in the first place. Still, she hoped Sam would make sure to get as many clues as possible; it was going to be so much harder to find the necklace if he wasn't thorough enough.

As he guided them to sit atop the small wall which lay at the foot of the Temple, Hanale was still prattling away, having moved on from general Hawaiian history to the more local history. Maggie's ears began to prick, as she began to write meaningless notes, hoping to pick up on anything which may be of interest. "...So the volcano destroyed everything, and my Great-Great Grandfather was almost killed, but he was able to escape here. This temple has never been hit by the volcano, it's protected."

"Protected?" Maggie repeated with sudden interest, her pen frozen as her eyes locked on to her misinformed guide. "Protected by what?"

"By the necklace of Taonoui." Hanale smirked, mistaking the gleam in Maggie's eye for one of wonder and admiration. "It's made of pure starlight, and provides protection and prosperity to whoever has it."

"Wow, I'm impressed!" Maggie batted her eyelashes up at Hanale as she squeezed his arm, her knuckles brushing what felt like a hand gun as her hand tactfully slid down to clutch his elbow. "That is some legend! Do your family look after the necklace?"

"No," Hanale replied, his chest puffing with self-importance. "The necklace itself went missing centuries ago, but some of it's powers are supposed to be stored within the Fortress of the Light."

"The Fortress of the Light?" Maggie quizzed, remembering the symbols Sam had highlighted to her, and hoping her facade was still believable. "Where's the Fortress of the Light?"

"It's not where is the Fortress?" Hanale winked, "It's what is the Fortress."

"What do you mean?" Maggie asked, dumbfounded.

"The Fortress, is basically four stone cubes, each no bigger than a tennis ball." Hanale explained quietly, leaning in towards Maggie as though not to be overheard. "On their own, they're nothing really special. But according to my brother, when they're together, they're supposed to reveal the true power of Taonoui's necklace."

"What's the true power?" Maggie pressed, shifting closer still to Hanale, and flashing a dazzling grin at him. Hanale blushed and laughed awkwardly.

"Oh, no one knows." He grinned sheepishly. "The stones have been separated for hundreds of years, and one of them was supposedly destroyed. As the benefactor, my brother has got one of the four, we know there's another one being kept in Indonesia, and the last one is missing."

"Oh, how awful." Maggie groaned in internal despair. If one of the cubes had been destroyed, how was she ever supposed to find the necklace? "That's such a shame! I bet you'd love to discover the true power, you'd probably become famous!" She enthused, hoping her over familiarity was still being interpreted as flirting.

"No, no" Hanale laughed, shaking his head, "That was always Ioane's dream. He still believes there is hope to unlock the Fortress. Hey!" Hanale suddenly exclaimed excitedly. "Ioane, my brother, is holding a benefit tomorrow night at our place, why don't you come?"

"Oh no, I'm sure your brother wouldn't want Sam and I to intrude!" Maggie made sure to include Sam's invitation as she protested weakly. She knew that her only hope now was to try and get a look at this Fortress cube that Hanale's brother kept, to see if it presented her with any clues as to how to find the necklace. Maggie was struck by a moment's inspiration; She brushed her fingers along her cheek as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, peering up through her lashes at Hanale, who blushed and averted her gaze as he insisted on their attendance, and Maggie's bashful smile masked the triumph she felt threatening to burst out, as her plan succeeded much more quickly than she'd anticipated. "Besides, what would we wear? We don't exactly have any clothes for the occasion!"

"Don't worry about that!" Hanale objected, waving his hand dismissively as he pulled out a card from his wallet. "Go into town, and pick out anything you like. If you show this at the register, they'll be able to help you." He handed the card to Maggie, blushing deep crimson when her fingers trailed his as she accepted graciously. His eagerness to impress her made it all too easy to fool him, Maggie considered, feeling a twinge of guilt before burying it deeply inside her mind.

"Thank you, Hanale." Maggie smiled sincerely, grinning up at him as he offered her his hand. He pulled her gently to her feet, reluctantly relaxing his hold on her as his eyes flickered to Sam, emerging from the shadows of the temple behind them.

"You're welcome," Hanale murmured gently as he squeezed Maggie's hand softly. "I'll send a car for you at 7:30 tomorrow evening. Hey, maybe we could even have a dance tomorrow? You know, if you wanted to?" He asked hopefully.

"Of course" Maggie nudged him gently as she smiled. "Make sure you come find me." She winked. Hanale grinned widely, his elation written all over his face. Even though she felt guilty for stringing him along, Maggie's smile was honest; Hanale wasn't such a bad guy, after all.

Sam marched towards them, his hands stuffed in his pockets and lips pressed into a thin line, as he eyed her intimate exchange with Hanale and felt an unexpected pang of jealousy. As he got closer, Sam noticed the youthfulness in Hanale's features and smirked; he was just a kid, he had no chance. Sam smiled to himself, and stood ever so slightly taller as he finally approached them. "Okay, I'm done. You ready?" He asked, a slightly sour edge to his voice.

"You bet," Maggie breathed, throwing a curious look at Sam as she threaded her arm through Hanale's once more. "Hanale, here, has very kindly offered to drop us back at the jeep."

Sam couldn't help his glower as he watched Maggie and Hanale walk ahead of him, laughing and chatting away animatedly, as they were led back towards the temple. He didn't understand why, but the way Maggie clung onto Hanale's arm and every word really made Sam's blood boil. "She can't seriously like this guy, can she?" He thought to himself bitterly.

"Hey, shouldn't we be heading, I don't know. In the other direction?" He called to them sarcastically.

"Don't worry, my friend," Hanale dismissed Sam's concerns lazily, as he continued to strive for Maggie's undivided attention. "I've got a much quicker route back." Hanale led Maggie and the grumbling Sam to the far side of the temple, where giant boulders had began to appear in clusters. When they had walked about halfway down, and were truly surrounded by enormous rocks, Hanale stopped and smiled secretively at Maggie. "We're here."

Confused, Maggie inspected their rocky surroundings, and was amazed to see a wire hanging above them on a track, affixed to an expertly hidden pole, which in turn ran down to a moderately sized platform, nestled amongst the boulders. Maggie's mouth dropped open as she gazed up in amazement; behind her, Sam glowered. "What is this Hanale?" she grinned.

"You'll see in a minute." Hanale smiled, as he pulled a walkie talkie out of his pocket, and gave instructions to whoever was listening on the other end. Sure enough, a moment later, the wire began to squeak and move slowly, and soon after, Maggie noticed a small metal cargo lift, just big enough to hold the three of them, heading upwards to greet them. "Don't worry," Hanale laughed, sensing Maggie's hesitation at the sight of the rackety looking machinery. "It's tougher than it looks. It takes a while to get going, but once it does, it can be pretty fun." He winked bravely, and Maggie giggled.

Hanale entered the cargo lift and offered his hand to Maggie, who accepted and stepped in cautiously after him. Sam swiftly followed, shutting the door with a loud clang, making Maggie cry out in surprise. "Sam, careful!" she scolded him with a glare, as the entire lift rocked with the sudden movement.

"Sorry." he sulked, pulling a cigarette to his lips and lighting it. Maggie sighed with impatience and turned her back to him, calling Hanale's attention to look at the sights that befell them as the lift slowly began to carry them back down the rocky slope. It took a few minutes for the trio to descend, and when they finally reached level ground, they left the cargo lift to discover they had entered some sort of pop-up security base. A tall, barbed wire fence encircled two static base units, and there was a small hive of activity as Maggie counted around thirty brawny looking men hurrying about, carrying out various orders, and all wearing the same dark military style uniforms, as Hanale guided Maggie and Sam towards one of the vehicles that was sat waiting patiently.

"Woah, this security is bigger than I expected." Maggie's brow furrowed as she observed the activity unfolding around them, wondering why somebody would want this much security for an ancient temple. She sneaked a look over to Hanale, who seemed oblivious to Maggie's quiet observations, and wondered if this was all because of his older brother. Maggie didn't have a clue what she was expecting to find at this benefit tomorrow, but she knew they would have to remain cautious if they were to avoid any trouble.

Hanale steered them out of the makeshift base, through the large metal fencing which had been erected around the site, and began to drive west down the slopes, in the opposite direction to where Maggie and Sam had left the jeep. "Uh, Hanale?" Maggie called, looking at him in confusion. "Our jeep is back the other way, we need to cross the gap and go back east."

"I know, don't worry." Hanale reassured her. "We've got to go this way to get across the gap, and then I'll take you back up to get your jeep."

"But how are you gonna get across in this?" Maggie asked, a hint of worry in her voice. "We were told there was no way to cross by car, and the best place to cross was where the gap was narrower."

"Yes it is." Hanale replied. "But my brother wanted to ensure we would be able to get to the temple easily, without people getting in the way. There's a crossing just ahead that we use." Sure enough, as Hanale steered them expertly across the uneven ground, two massive steel structures appeared, one stood on either side of the gaping hole in the earth, and were connected by great lengths of cables, hanging worryingly high over the massive pit. Suspended from the thick cables was a massive cage, similar to the cargo lift they'd used to get down from the temple, but much, much bigger. As they drove nearer, Hanale flashed the lights of his truck, and the large wall nearest to them began to rise slowly, granting them access to the large holding platform. The cables groaned slightly as they adjusted to the extra weight underneath them, and Maggie swallowed the lump in her throat as she tried to remain calm. She wasn't particularly bothered by heights, but was more concerned with being trapped in a falling truck, if the cables were to give in to the weight, with no means of escape. Behind her, Sam seemed to share her concerns.

"You sure this thing is safe?" He looked at Hanale distrustingly.

"You're safe, I promise." Hanale replied, his eyes meeting Sam's with indifference as he looked up in the rear view mirror. They pulled into position, and once the gate was secured behind them, a large whirring and sudden jolt confirmed that they were beginning to move. The lift went slowly, the great platform rocking ever so slightly in the breeze, as it carried them across. Maggie's heart was in her mouth the entire time, her eyes transfixed on the solid ground which approached them, at an agonizingly slow pace. She felt Sam's gaze on her from the backseat, but she dared not look at him, for fear that the view could change at any moment.

Once safely on the other side, another cage wall began to rise in front of them, and Maggie felt the knot in her stomach begin to ease a little as she felt the solid ground beneath them as Hanale exited the car lift. They headed back east, to where Maggie and Sam had left the jeep, and arrived in no time, as Hanale expertly navigated them over the treacherous terrain. "I'm surprised you were able to make it up this far by car," Hanale commented as they spotted the hired vehicle waiting for them ahead, "Most people don't even bother trying to."

"What can I say?" Sam smirked from the back seat. "This isn't the first time I've gone off roading."

As soon as Hanale pulled up next to their jeep, Sam was out of the car with the bags, throwing them into the back of their own jeep. He leapt into position and started the ignition, revving the engine loudly as he waited with impatience. Maggie scowled briefly at Sam, before turning to Hanale with a friendly smile. "Thank you, Hanale. You've been a massive help today."

"My pleasure," Hanale replied softly, his smile not quite meeting his eyes as he watched Maggie climb out of the passenger side, and head towards the other car, where Sam was waiting. "I'm looking forward to our dance tomorrow night!" He called out of the window.

"Me too, I'll see you tomorrow!" Maggie beamed, turning to wave at Hanale as she climbed in next to Sam.

They waited as Hanale turned around in his truck and drove off, back towards his brother's car lift, before heading back down the volcano themselves, towards their motel. Sam was silent as he steered them away, his eyes fixed on the land ahead. Maggie studied him carefully for a moment, curious about Sam's sudden change in behaviour when he rejoined her and Hanale. Her curiosity swiftly turned to annoyance, when she realised Sam was yet to even mention what he'd found out in the temple. "So?" Maggie raised her eyebrow as she waited impatiently. "What did you find out?"

"You sure you wanna know?" he retorted sarcastically,"Or are you too busy focusing on your date?"

Maggie rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Sam. Don't be so pathetic." She argued, crossing her arms in anger as she glared at Sam. "Do you really think I am thinking of anything other than getting this necklace?! I have just secured the both of us an invitation to a benefit tomorrow night, where we can find one of the stones of the "Fortress of the Light" which contains the key to unlocking the true power of Taonoui's necklace! I've also found out the location of one of the other stones, thanks to my new friend Hanale, which narrows the number of unknown stones to two, if you must know."

Sam opened his mouth as if to speak, but closed it after a moment as he considered Maggie's words. His eyebrows scrunched together as he frowned, unable to conjure a suitable response, and was left looking like a fish and he struggled to find words. A moment of realisation seemed to strike, and Sam turned to face Maggie with the same astonished look he'd worn the first time they'd met. "Wait, so you were just using him?" He asked, glancing at her in uncertainty. Maggie just scoffed, and threw him a look which implied "Duh, moron" and Sam couldn't help but laugh. He didn't even know why he felt such relief; maybe it was because he was expected to have her eating out the palm of his hand by now, but her constant resistance towards him made it feel like even more of a challenge, and Hanale posed a further threat to that challenge. "Oh." was all that Sam could utter.

Maggie rolled her eyes, and shook her head in annoyance. Despite her slight change of opinion towards him earlier, Maggie still found Sam to be immature, and she wasn't completely sure that he wasn't a hindrance to her on this trip. "So, what did you find on the altar?" she demanded, huffing in frustration.

"Oh, I think it's some kind of instructions, or ritual." He explained, resuming his usual relaxed persona as his face broke into a lopsided grin. "It talked about your Fortress of Light, and mentioned something about the necklace of Taonoui being bathed in starlight. I've got a rubbing of the markings, so we can go over it if we need to. There was no mention of any other stones though, I don't think."

"No, it probably wouldn't." Maggie replied thoughtfully as she routed through her backpack for her notebook. "I imagine the altars were purely designed to hold and protect the stones, not to reveal where they were all located. I think we're going to need to see the actual stones to find that out."

"Okay," Sam's voice was serious as agreed, his gaze focused ahead as he followed the sloping path. "What about this Hanale's brother, huh? Going by what we've seen of him so far, I don't think he's only interested in protecting this temple and it's history, do you? The guy could be a total nut case, are you prepared for that?" he raised an eyebrow as he threw a quizzical look at Maggie.

Maggie scowled; of course the same thought had entered her mind, but Maggie had dismissed it, determined not to be dissuaded by the idea of competition. "Of course I'm prepared." Maggie huffed, "In any case, we have no choice. This may be the only opportunity we're going to get. We need to make sure we can at least get a good look at the stone, and the chance to study it, if nothing else. I don't have a clue what kind of guy Hanale's brother is, but I'd say we stand a much better chance if we're on friendly terms, wouldn't you?"

Sam pressed his lips together as he nodded grimly. "I guess you're right." he muttered. "But just so you know, seeing as we're going in so blindly, I'm taking something to protect myself with. Is that cool?" Maggie was shocked at his blatant admission, so much so that she could only nod quietly in response. She had suspected that he knew how to use a gun, as could she, but she so rarely considered using them, that it was a surprise that such a request would be his first in the task ahead. Sam smirked as his eyes glanced over Maggie's shocked expression, and a new question jumped to his lips. "Hey, why did you say you were a journalist? Why not tell him you work for a Museum?"

"Oh, sometimes people can be funny if they know what I actually do for a living." Maggie explained. "People can get pretty pissy if they think you're trying to take something that belongs to them."

"I get that." Sam chuckled, "But where did you get the idea of a journalist for the National Geographic?"

"Oh, I got that from a girl I went to college with, Elena Fisher. She was studying history and journalism, so we had a few classes together." Maggie explained. "She often said she wanted to write about some of the hidden treasures of the world, so it seemed like a plausible excuse."

"Huh, no kidding." Sam grinned at Maggie, who blushed as his eyes considered her with a mischievous gleam. "You're full of surprises, you know that? I think this might just work."


End file.
